Question: In “The Scarlet Ibis,” how would you characterize
the narrator?
Topic: In “The Scarlet Ibis,” Hurst characterizes the narrator
as callous.
Quote 1: “…so I began to make plans to kill him by
smothering him with a pillow” (Hurst).
Context: The narrator is thinking about how much of a
disappointment his brother is because they can’t play
together.
Embedded Quote 1: While thinking about how much of a
disappointment his brother is because they can’t play
together, the narrator “beg[ins] to make plans to kill him by
smothering him with a pillow” (Hurst).
Commentary:
Quote 2: “…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” (Hurst).
Context: The narrator and his brother are trying to escape a
storm outside after one of their programs falters.
Embedded Quote 2: After their program falters, the narrator
and his brother are trying to escape a storm, and a “streak of
cruelty within [him] awaken[s],” so he “[runs] as fast as [he]
[can], leaving [Doodle] far behind” (Hurst).
Commentary:
In “The Scarlet Ibis,” Hurst characterizes the narrator as
callous. To illustrate, while thinking about how much of a
disappointment his brother is, the narrator “beg[ins] to make
plans to kill him by smothering him with a pillow” (Hurst).
The narrator nonchalantly speaks of killing his brother
proving his cruel nature. Furthermore, after their program
falters, the narrator and his brother are trying to escape a
storm, and a “streak of cruelty within [him] awaken[s],” so
he “[runs] as fast as [he] [can], leaving [Doodle] far behind”
(Hurst). The fact that the narrator abandons his brother in a
time of need demonstrates his cold-heartedness.