Hurst’s Use of Flashback Flashback: the author or narrator depicts events which have taken place before the present time. Brother (the narrator) begins the story in present, and then flashes back to a previous time in his life. The use of flashback alerts the reader that the story itself is a memory. The use of flashback also characterizes Brother as someone who is now more mature and regrets his treatment of his little brother Doodle.

Summarizer—“Dear Diary...” “The Scarlet Ibis” is told from Brother’s perspective through a flashback. Your job is to write a diary entry using flashback from the perspective of Doodle instead, who survives and is now grown up and mature like Brother. In his diary entry, Doodle should reflect on one of the events of the story, revealing what he has learned from the experience now that he is older. This Summarizing activity should begin, “Dear Diary,” and be 5 to 7 sentences.

By James Hurst “The Scarlet Ibis”

Order of Events A. A scarlet ibis dies in the family’s front yard. B. Brother finds Doodle dead, with blood staining his neck red. C. Brother makes Doodle touch his coffin in the barn loft. D. Brother pushes Doodle to learn how to run, swim, climb, etc. E. Brother runs ahead of Doodle in a thunderstorm, even though he hears him crying, “Don’t leave me, Brother!” F. Brother takes Doodle to Old Woman Swamp for the first time. G. Doodle learns to crawl, but he crawls backward, hence his nickname. H. Doodle learns to walk, surprising all of the family.

Plot Points Exposition Protagonist and Narrator=Brother, who starts the story with a flashback. Everyone thinks Doodle will die, but he lives and learns to crawl at age 3. Rising Action Embarrassed by Doodle, Brother teaches Doodle how to walk at age 6. Brother pushes Doodle to learn to do more, and is cruel to him at times. A scarlet ibis dies in the family’s front yard. Climax Brother runs far ahead of Doodle during a severe thunderstorm. Doodle cries out for Brother to wait, but Brother’s pride is too hurt. Falling Action Brother turns around to go get Doodle out of the rain. Resolution/Denouement Brother finds Doodle dead and cries over his body in the rain.

Setting Time: —World War I; summer Place: North Carolina; cotton farm; Old Woman Swamp.

Conflict Man vs. Man: the struggle exists between the narrator and Doodle. James Hurst uses the war raging among “brothers” in Europe to demonstrate the conflict between the narrator and Doodle.

Allusions There are three allusions in “The Scarlet Ibis.” Battle sites of WWI: Chateau-Thierry, Soissons, and Belleau Wood The story of Hansel and Gretel: “It was too late to turn back, for we had both wandered too far into a net of expectations and had left no crumbs behind.” Biblical Resurrection: “If we produced anything less than the Resurrection, [Aunt Nicey] was going to be disappointed.”

Foreshadowing Summer of 1918 was devastating: plant growth was replaced by death and decay. Clue that Doodle’s growth will be replaced by death and decay. The death of the Ibis. Clue that Doodle will die later in the story. Dead birds are “bad luck.”

Similes “William Armstrong’s name is like putting a big tail on a small kite.” This simile compares Doodle to a small kite and his real name to a big tail, emphasizing how Brother thinks Doodle can’t live up to the name “William Armstrong.” “Promise hung about us like leaves.” This simile compares promise to the multitude of leaves, suggesting that there is a lot of potential. “Hope no longer hid in the dark palmetto thicket, but perched like a cardinal in the lacy toothbrush tree, brilliantly visible.” This simile compares hope to a cardinal, highlighting how much hope there is for Doodle when he first stands on his own.

Metaphors “There is within me (and with sadness I have watched it in others) a knot of cruelty borne by the stream of love, much as our blood sometimes bears the seed of our destruction.” This metaphor compares love to the flow of streams, whether water or blood, and highlights how it is Brother’s love for Doodle that leads to his cruelty toward him, and Doodle’s destruction. “Pride is a wonderful, terrible thing, a seed that bears two vines, life and death.” This metaphor compares pride to a seed which grows into something both positive and negative.

Theme One of the possible themes of “The Scarlet Ibis” is pride is destructive. Lines like the following support this theme: “All of us must have something to be proud of.” Because Brother must have something to be proud of, he pushes Doodle harder than he ever should have, leading to Doodle’s death. “Pride is a wonderful, terrible thing, a seed that bears two vines, life and death.” Comparing pride to a seed which grows into death emphasizes how it is Brother’s pride which ultimately causes Doodle’s death.

Symbolism and Imagery Symbol: a person, place, or thing used to represent something else. Imagery: descriptive language that appeals to the five senses.

Analyzing Symbolism and Imagery Example SYMBOL: Scarlet Ibis (p ) REPRESENTS: Doodle QUOTE: “A white veil came over the eyes and the long white beak unhinged” (393). MEANING: The “white veil” represents the caul that covered Doodle when he was born.

Gallery Walk Activity With your assigned group, travel around the room to the various posters on the walls which name an important symbol or image from “The Scarlet Ibis.” Your group must contribute to at least three of the posters in the following three ways: 1. Identify what the symbol or image represents. 2. Provide a quote from the story that mentions the symbol or image. Be sure to use quotation marks, and to provide the page number. 3. Explain the meaning of the quote provided. Only one group at a time at a poster. When your group finishes, sit quietly and wait for further instructions.

Symbols and Images Scarlet Ibis Bleeding tree Rotting brown magnolia Graveyard flowers Mahogany coffin Grindstone Black clouds and darkness Ironweeds grew rank Caul Old Woman Swamp Wreaths of flowers

Summarizer—Ticket Out the Door Respond to the Essential Question of today’s lesson: How does Hurst use imagery and symbolism in “The Scarlet Ibis” in order develop theme? Utilize at least one of the symbols and/or images you learned about during today’s lesson as an example in your response. Your response should be in paragraph form, 5 to 7 sentences.

Imagery Death imagery appears throughout “The Scarlet Ibis.” Examples: Bleeding tree Rotting brown magnolia Ironweeds grew rank Graveyard flowers Mahogany box Black clouds, darkness descended