illustration of a scarlet ibis cradling a boy's body

The Scarlet Ibis

by James Hurst

Start Free Trial

Discussion Topic

Resolution and Falling Action in "The Scarlet Ibis"

Summary:

The resolution of "The Scarlet Ibis" is marked by Doodle's tragic death, which mirrors the fate of the scarlet ibis earlier in the story. The narrator, Doodle's brother, reflects on his pride and guilt, recognizing that his relentless push for Doodle's normalcy contributed to his demise. This realization serves as the narrative's resolution, as the brother comes to terms with his actions and the story itself becomes a means of closure and acknowledgment of Doodle's unique life.

Expert Answers

An illustration of the letter 'A' in a speech bubbles

What is the resolution of "The Scarlet Ibis"?

The resolution of the story is when Doodle dies and his brother blames himself.

From the beginning, the narrator is embarrassed and ashamed of his little brother.  Doodle is expected to die as a baby, and grows up with mental and physical impairments.  The narrator often complains about his little brother and sometimes treats him cruelly.

When the narrator tries to teach his little brother to run, disaster results.  Like the scarlet ibis that fell from the tree and foreshadowed his death, Doodle has collapsed unexpectedly.

"Doodle!" I screamed above the pounding storm and threw my body to the earth above his. For a long time, it seemed forever, I lay there crying, sheltering my fallen scarlet ibis.

This event resolves the conflict of the narrator being ashamed of Doodle.  His conflict is with Doodle, but also with himself.  He feels badly for the way he treats his brother.  After...

Unlock
This Answer Now

Start your 48-hour free trial and get ahead in class. Boost your grades with access to expert answers and top-tier study guides. Thousands of students are already mastering their assignments—don't miss out. Cancel anytime.

Get 48 Hours Free Access

he dies, he regrets it even more.

Approved by eNotes Editorial
An illustration of the letter 'A' in a speech bubbles

What are the falling action and resolution of "The Scarlet Ibis"?

The falling action and the resolution of "The Scarlet Ibis" can be a little hard to identify. One could argue, in fact, that they don't really appear in the story and that the narrative simply concludes with the climax, the moment of greatest excitement or tension: Doodle's death.

That said, we could also make the case that the falling action of "The Scarlet Ibis" occurs as Doodle and his brother head to Horseshoe Landing after brother finishes eating. The resolution might be said to occur when the brother realizes that it is his pride that has killed Doodle.

  • Falling Action

After Doodle buries the scarlet ibis and the brother finishes eating, they go to the shore where brother wants Doodle to continue his swimming lessons. However, when they arrive there is lightning in the sky so the brothers have to leave. Brother is so angered that Doodle has "failed" that he hurries ahead of Doodle. After the failure, the falling action begins:

The knowledge that our plans had come to nothing was bitter, and that streak of cruelty within me awakened. I ran as fast as I could, leaving him far behind with a wall of rain dividing us. 

  • Resolution

In his selfish pride, the brother runs ahead, leaving the frightened Doodle. When Doodle does not catch up, the exasperated brother retraces his steps only to find Doodle apparently crouched with his head down. When the brother touches him,

[H]e toppled backward onto the earth. He had been bleeding from the mouth, and his neck and the front of his shirt were stained a brilliant red. 

Realizing the terrible effect of his pride, the brother holds his "fallen scarlet ibis" as he cries "sheltering [his] fallen ibis."

Approved by eNotes Editorial
An illustration of the letter 'A' in a speech bubbles

Does the story "The Scarlet Ibis" have a resolution?

The climax is the highest point of excitement or tension and the turning point of the story. In "The Scarlet Ibis," the climax is actually when the narrator goes back during the storm to find whatever happened to Doodle. As the reader, we are unsure what has happened. He has been pushed too far, and we can't imagine what has happened to him in this threatening storm. That is the climax.

The resolution then is when the narrator finds Doodle covered in his own blood. The narrator realizes what he has done--he pushed his brother too far--just as the ibis had been pushed too far, fought for too long to survive in conditions too strenuous for him. The narrator's pride was the cause of it all. That is the resolution.

Approved by eNotes Editorial
An illustration of the letter 'A' in a speech bubbles

Where is the resolution in "The Scarlet Ibis"?

While it might be simple to say that the resolution is in the last lines of "The Scarlet Ibis" as the brother finds Doodle dead under the nightshade bush, my opinion is different. Instead, I believe the telling of the story itself serves as resolution for the brother who is narrating the story of his childhood relationship with Doodle. In the first two paragraphs, the brother suggests he is telling the story as a flashback with many years between the actual events and time of the telling ("the grindstone begins to turn, and time with all its changes is ground away–and I remember Doodle"). Often, the simple act of writing something down can help to bring closure to an important or traumatic event in one's life. Throughout the story the brother admits guilt, in his cruelty toward Doodle, his embarrassment in having a crippled brother and his excessive pride in his attempts to change Doodle. In his narration, he all but admits to contributing to Doodle's death as he recalls the day he ran away from his brother in the rainstorm causing Doodle to die from exhaustion and internal bleeding. The narrator seems to have come to terms with his guilt and the simple telling of the story is an act of love toward his highly unique and fragile brother. In the last lines of the story the narrator suggests that Doodle was like a saint as he attempts to protect his dead body from the "heresy of rain." The story itself acts to resolve the childhood conflict between the brothers as the narrator realizes his faults, and that his brother was an amazing human being.

Approved by eNotes Editorial