The Scarlet Ibis
by James Hurst
Feature Menu
Introducing the Story
Literary Skills Focus: Symbolism
and Theme
Reading Skills Focus: Analyzing
Details
TechFocus
Writing Skills Focus: Think as a
Reader/Writer
The Scarlet Ibis
by James Hurst
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The Scarlet Ibis
Introducing the Story
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The Scarlet Ibis
Introducing the Story
I thought myself pretty smart at many
things. . . .
The Scarlet Ibis
Introducing the Story
The narrator of “The Scarlet Ibis” describes his life
with Doodle, his physically disabled brother.
When the narrator decides
that Doodle will learn to
walk—and perhaps run—
he may be in for a painful
lesson about life:
I did not know then that pride is a wonderful, terrible thing,
a seed that bears two vines, life and death.
—from “The Scarlet Ibis” by James Hurst
[End of Section]
The Scarlet Ibis
Literary Skills Focus: Symbolism and Theme
A symbol is an object, person, animal, or event
that we often associate with other concepts.
Symbols are all around
us in our everyday
lives.
Their special meanings
often have been handed
down over time.
The Scarlet Ibis
Literary Skills Focus: Symbolism and Theme
In literature, the use of symbols adds deeper levels
of meaning to a work.
A writer might take an object
or event and make it stand
for some human concern.
A symbol might even be
associated with a particular
character, like that magic
lamp and Aladdin.
The Scarlet Ibis
Literary Skills Focus: Symbolism and Theme
Symbols speak to the reader’s emotions and
imagination. They make stories memorable.
The Scarlet Ibis
Literary Skills Focus: Symbolism and Theme
In “The Scarlet Ibis,” you’ll notice associations—
and similarities—between a character and a bird.
Pay attention to how the
author uses the symbolic
connection between that
character and the bird.
The symbolism can help
deepen your understanding of
the character.
The Scarlet Ibis
Literary Skills Focus: Symbolism and Theme
Writers also reveal their thoughts and feelings about
a subject in the work’s theme. The theme
is its central idea.
is not usually stated directly.
The Scarlet Ibis
Literary Skills Focus: Symbolism and Theme
Because theme is not usually stated directly, you
should consider all of the work’s elements, including
its symbols. Then, make an educated guess about
its theme.
characters
setting
Theme
plot
symbols
The Scarlet Ibis
Literary Skills Focus: Symbolism and Theme
Read the following. What clues can you find that
suggest a theme about life renewing itself?
Mr. Day held his tiny
tiny new
new
grandbaby ininhis
grandbaby
grandson
hiswrinkled
wrinkled
wrinkled
hands.
Outside Outside
hands.
the window
the window
of his hospital
of his
room, the
hospital
room,
gray the
of winter
gray
gray of
of
was
winter
broken
was
winter
broken
by
was
the
by
broken
first
the first
flowers
by the
flowers
of
firstof
spring peeking
flowers
of spring
up from
peeking
the up
ground.
from
the ground.
Mr. Day stroked the baby’s
blanket, the
the same
sameone
oneininwhich
which
he’d wrapped
he’d
wrapped
his
his
own
own
sonson
thirty
years ago.
thirty
years ago.
The side-by-side descriptions of
hands suggests a connection
between young and old.
The description of the change
from winter to spring shows a
natural renewal of life.
Symbolically, the blanket links
the lives of grandfather, son,
and grandson in renewal.
[End of Section]
The Scarlet Ibis
Reading Skills Focus: Analyzing Details
As you read, pay attention to details, even those
that may seem insignificant.
Details about
character,
plot,
and setting
can develop deeper meaning as a story develops.
The Scarlet Ibis
Reading Skills Focus: Analyzing Details
Listen to this excerpt from “The Scarlet Ibis.”
What are some of the details included in the
description?
What larger meaning might they suggest?
The Scarlet Ibis
Reading Skills Focus: Analyzing Details
Into Action: Use a chart to record details and see
what larger meanings they might point to.
Into Action: Detail Chart
Story Details
Summer was dead; autumn
not yet born.
Graveyard flowers are
blooming.
Larger Meanings
Nature might mirror human
experience—birth and death.
Despite death, life goes on.
[End of Section]
The Scarlet Ibis
TechFocus: Analyzing Details
As you read "The Scarlet Ibis," think about using
presentation software to create a presentation to
accompany this story. What images might you
include in your presentation?
[End of Section]
The Scarlet Ibis
Writing Skills Focus: Think as a Reader/Writer
Find It in Your Reading
This story is narrated by a man looking back on his
childhood relationship with his younger brother.
“Aw, come on, Doodle,” I urged, “you can do it. Do you
want to be different from everybody else when you start
school?”
“Does it make any difference?”
“It certainly does,” I said. “Now, come on,” and I helped
him up.
As you read, note passages that help you
understand this relationship.
Vocabulary
The Scarlet Ibis
Vocabulary
imminent adj.: near; about to happen.
iridescent adj.: rainbowlike; displaying a
shifting range of colors.
infallibility n.: inability to make a mistake.
reiterated v.: repeated; said several times.
mar v.: damage; spoil.
The Scarlet Ibis
Vocabulary
The word imminent often describes an
undesirable event that is about to happen.
After being caught
unprepared for his part
of the group’s
presentation, Will knew
that disaster was
imminent.
The Scarlet Ibis
Vocabulary
What imminent event is suggested by the
picture above?
The Scarlet Ibis
Vocabulary
The photograph suggests that the man faces an
imminent fall.
He is about to land on the sidewalk.
The Scarlet Ibis
Vocabulary
Iridescent describes the rainbowlike shimmer seen
on things like oil-slicked puddles and dragonfly
wings.
What are some other examples of things that
appear iridescent?
The Scarlet Ibis
Vocabulary
Which of the birds below has iridescent feathers?
peacock
eagle
cardinal
The Scarlet Ibis
Vocabulary
Which of the birds below has iridescent feathers?
peacock
eagle
cardinal
The Scarlet Ibis
Vocabulary
The word infallibility consists of three parts
inprefix
meaning
not
fallible
+
capable of
making an
error
-ity
+
suffix used to
show a
condition
Small children are often impressed with the
seeming infallibility of adults.
They think that adults never make mistakes.
The Scarlet Ibis
Vocabulary
Karen prides herself on her perfection.
Which of the following is NOT an example of Karen’s
infallibility?
a. She scored 100% on her math test.
b. She received applause for her violin solo.
c. She woke up late for work.
The Scarlet Ibis
Vocabulary
Karen prides herself on her perfection.
Which of the following is NOT an example of Karen’s
infallibility?
a. She scored 100% on her math test.
b. She received applause for her violin solo.
c. She woke up late for work.
The Scarlet Ibis
Vocabulary
Mr. Evans had just reiterated his policy against
using cell phones during class.
When he saw Alice sending a text message, he
threw his hands up and stared at the ceiling.
Why is Mr. Evans frustrated by Alice’s behavior?
The Scarlet Ibis
Vocabulary
Mr. Evans is angry because he had just reiterated
the rule, yet Alice had broken it.
Mr. Evans is getting tired of repeating himself.
The Scarlet Ibis
Vocabulary
The word mar suggests that something has caused
physical damage.
Tomato sauce had marred
Millie’s white gown.
Mar also may suggest a less
tangible sort of destruction.
That spill forever marred
Millie’s memories of her
wedding day.
The Scarlet Ibis
Vocabulary
Josh was ashamed by his yearbook photo, though
there was only a slight blemish to mar his otherwise
perfect face.
Which of the following is the best substitute for the
word mar?
a. embellish
b. tarnish
c. decorate
The Scarlet Ibis
Vocabulary
Josh was ashamed by his yearbook photo, though
there was only a slight blemish to mar his otherwise
perfect face.
Which of the following is the best substitute for the
word mar?
a. embellish
b. tarnish
c. decorate
The End