Discussion Topic
The symbolism of the scarlet ibis foreshadows the story's tragic conclusion
Summary:
The scarlet ibis symbolizes fragility and death, foreshadowing the story's tragic conclusion. The bird's death parallels the fate of Doodle, highlighting his vulnerability and the inevitability of his demise. The ibis's struggle and ultimate fall serve as a poignant metaphor for Doodle's own life and tragic end.
How does the death of the scarlet ibis foreshadow the ending of the story?
In James Hurst’s story “The Scarlet Ibis,” the death of the title bird foreshadows the death of Doodle at the story’s end. Let’s look at this in more detail.
The narrator, Doodle, and the rest of the family are eating lunch when they suddenly hear a strange croak. There is a weird bird in the bleeding tree and it looks quite horrible. It is drooping and exhausted. Its feathers are falling out and it cannot quite seem to perch properly in the tree. It cannot get its wings to work right, and it falls right out of the tree in a flutter. When the bird hits the ground, it is dead. It is the scarlet ibis.
Notice how this bird mirrors Doodle, who is also weak and uncoordinated as well as often drooping and exhausted. The bird seems to have used up all its strength and Doodle often does that, too, especially when his brother is pressuring him to try to be like other boys. The ibis is not like other birds, and Doodle is not like other boys.
Neither bird nor boy survive the story. The bird’s death foreshadows Doodle’s death. Doodle, too, succumbs to exhaustion during the storm, and the narrator finds him curled up beneath a bush, bleeding from the mouth. Doodle turns scarlet, just like the ibis. The narrator appreciates the bird even in its death, for there is a grace about it. He finally appreciates Doodle, too, even when it is too late to show it in anything but telling the story.
How does the scarlet ibis' appearance hint at the story's outcome?
The scarlet ibis's death is a foreshadowing of Doodle's.
Doodle is a very special individual. He is different. He is a brilliant streak of color in an otherwise mundane universe. The scarlet ibis was a literal streak of color against the backdrop of an otherwise mundane farm existence. He brought a flash of beauty to the world, as Doodle did.
When the scarlet ibis died, so did that flash of brilliance, that moment of light on the earth. When Doodle died, the same thing happened. A light was extinguished. Even at the end of the story, the brother is cradling his "scarlet ibis." Truly, the Ibis and Doodle are one and the same.
Additionally, when the scarlet ibis died, Doodle insisted on burying it. He himself felt a connection with the bird. He felt their similarities, and maybe he even felt the foreshadowing. He was a wise kid. :O)
Good luck!
Sara
The scarlet ibis is a symbol for Doodle and the bird's death under the bleeding tree foreshadows the death of the young boy. Today, we might use the term "special" for Doodle because he suffers from a physical disability. Indeed, the author, James Hurst, wants us to consider Doodle a rare and unique individual. When he is born his Aunt comments that Doodle had almost a divine birth:
She said he would live because he was born in a caul, and cauls were made from Jesus' nightgown.
Like Doodle, the ibis is rare and fragile. It has been blown off its course by a hurricane and lands in the family's garden high up in the bleeding tree (a symbol for blood and death). It is a tropical bird and rarely gets as far away from home as North Carolina. Hurst describes the death of the bird, foreshadowing the later death of Doodle:
Its long, graceful neck jerked twice into an S, then straightened out, and the bird was still. A white veil came over the eyes and the long white beak unhinged. Its legs were crossed and its clawlike feet were delicately curved at rest. Even death did not mar its grace, for it lay on the earth like a broken vase of red flowers, and we stood around it, awed by its exotic beauty.
Doodle takes a keen interest in the bird, feeling an affinity to the fragile creature. He buries the bird and even sings a hymn for the dead bird.
After his brother pushes him too hard, Doodle dies from internal bleeding and is found under a nightshade bush (like the bleeding tree, a symbol of death). The description of Doodle in death mirrors the description of the ibis, and even the brother makes the comparison. Hurst writes:
"Doodle! Doodle!" I cried, shaking him, but there was no answer but the ropy rain. He lay very awkwardly, with his head thrown far back, making his vermilion neck appear unusually long and slim. His little legs, bent sharply at the knees, had never before seemed so fragile, so thin.
I began to weep, and the tear-blurred vision in red before me looked very familiar. "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 from the heresy of rain.
The description of Doodle's long, slender neck and thin legs are reminiscent of the death of the ibis. And, like the ibis, Doodle's life ended tragically in the middle of tumultuous weather.
Get Ahead with eNotes
Start your 48-hour free trial to access everything you need to rise to the top of the class. Enjoy expert answers and study guides ad-free and take your learning to the next level.
Already a member? Log in here.