1
Integrity is often defined as one’s “adherence to moral and ethical principles; soundness
of moral character, [and] honesty” (Integrity). This definition, though, may be interpreted in a
variety of ways, as it is based off of what a person may consider to be his or her moral and
ethical principles. As demonstrated in many short stories such as “The Scarlet Ibis” and “A Rose
for Emily”, integrity is not always easy to come by because it is often dragged down by greed
and selfishness. The way people choose to use integrity is based upon how they were taught, the
environment in which they grew up in, influences in their life, as well as many other deciding
factors. Throughout these short stories, as well as in reality, selfishness and greed are roadblocks
to living a life of integrity.
Selfishness often sways people to not use integrity, as demonstrated in both “A Rose for
Emily” and “The Scarlet Ibis.” In “The Scarlet Ibis,” by James Hurst, the narrator, who is also
Doodle’s older brother, only seeks out to help Doodle, because he is embarrassed of how his
little brother is only half there as he says, “When Doodle was five years old, I was embarrassed
at having a brother of that age who couldn’t walk, so I set out to teach him,” (Hurst 3). It is
almost as if Doodle is a “doodle;” incomplete and not all there, which is why he does not meet
up to his older brother’s expectations. As the narrator explains in “The Scarlet Ibis,” “It was bad
enough having an invalid brother, but having one who possibly was not all there was unbearable,
so he began to make plans to kill him,” (Hurst 1). This demonstrates just how much of an effect
feelings can have in swaying people not to use integrity. Another example of this would be in
the short story, “A Rose for Emily” by William Faulkner. In “A Rose for Emily,” Miss Emily
meets a man, whose name is Homer Barron, and she becomes very attached to this man,
although, not to Miss Emily, he “himself remarked – he liked men, and it was known that he
2
drank with younger men in the Elks’ Club – that he was not the marrying man” (Faulkner 5).
Miss Emily may have found out this about Barron and therefore, “she [buys] the rat poison, the
arsenic” (Faulkner 5). Miss Emily uses the poison to murder Homer Barron so that he will never
leave her. After Miss Emily dies, people find Homer Barron lying in the bed, as “what [is] left of
him; rotted beneath what [is] left of the nightshirt, [has] become inextricable from the bed in
which he lay; and upon him and upon the pillow beside him lay that even coating of the patient
and biding dust” (Faulkner 8). The very same people whom discover Homer’s rotten bones,
which are now attached to the bedding, notice “that in the second pillow . . . One of us [lift]
something from it, and leaning forward, that faint and invisible dust dry and acrid in the nostrils,
we [see] a long strand of iron-gray hair” (Faulkner 8). This long strand of iron-gray hair that is
found in the bed alongside Homer Barron’s body is that of Miss Emily Grierson. This hair is a
small trace of evidence that proves she has been sleeping beside the dead remains of Homer
Barron, whom she murdered to ensure that he will not leave her. This demonstrates how greed
can play a massive part in whether or not a person decides to use integrity. Therefore, one does
not choose to use integrity dues to the roadblocks of selfishness and greed.
Although selfishness is often a roadblock that prevents people from using integrity, a
series of events followings this selfishness may, also, cause people to use integrity. This is
proven in the short story, by James Hurst, “The Scarlet Ibis.” One day when the narrator,
Doodle’s older brother, decides to take Doodle out to teach him, bad weather arises. When the
lightning begins, the boys start to leave. The narrator does not like the fact that Doodle “[keeps]
stepping on my heels,” and “the faster I [walk], the faster he [walks], so I [begin] to run” (Hurst
6). Because the narrator runs, and knows that Doodle is unable to run, he leaves Doodle even
though he hears him cry “brother, brother, don’t leave me! Don’t leave me!” (Hurst 8). This
3
selfishness leads to the unfortunate event of when the narrator realizes Doodle’s death, in a rather
gruesome manner, as he explains, “he fell backwards . . . had been bleeding from the mouth, and
his neck and the front of his shirt [is] stained . . . he lay very awkwardly, with his head thrown
far back, making his vermillion neck appear unusually long . . . his little legs, bent sharply at the
knees, had never before seemed so fragile . . . I began to weep, and the tear-blurred vision in red
before me looked very familiar . . . I lay there crying, sheltering my fallen scarlet ibis from the
heresy of rain” (Hurst 8). The death of his little brother has a major affect on the narrator, as he
realizes just how selfish he has been to Doodle and, therefore, he decides to share his story about
Doodle and himself. The fact that the narrator chooses to share his story is integrity because it
shows that he has reflected upon his time with Doodle and recognizes his errors. As he explains
his story, he builds moral character, which is a part of the definition of integrity, “soundness of
moral character” (Integrity) and he is also being honest be sharing what he did and tried to do to
Doodle. As a result of the selfishness in which the narrator had at the beginning of the story, the
selfishness led to an act of integrity by the narrator.
As demonstrated in the two short stories “A Rose for Emily,” by William Faulkner, and
“The Scarlet Ibis,” by James Hurst, integrity is often blocked by greed and selfishness. At times
though, integrity may be caused by a person’s act of selfishness, as shown in James Hurst’s “The
Scarlet Ibis,” with the narrator and the death of his little brother, Doodle. The integrity is or is
not demonstrated in the short stories also relates to how people use integrity in reality. In society,
today, many people are swayed by greed and selfishness which helps to prevent people from
using integrity. This causes many incidents to occur as such that happened in the short stories “A
Rose for Emily,” with Miss Emily and Homer Barron and “The Scarlet Ibis,” with the narrator
4
and Doodle. In conclusion, roadblocks to living lives of integrity include, but are not limited to,
greed and selfishness, as it is demonstrated in many short stories, as well as reality.