The Scarlet Ibis

Dante Alighieri once said, "Avarice, envy, pride, three fatal sparks, have set the hearts of all on Fire." In the short story “The Scarlet Ibis” by James Hurst, it shows how pride can be beneficial in some ways, and harmful in other ways. The story starts out as the narrator of the story has a recollection of his past when his younger brother Doodle was still alive. The narrator tells how everyone believed Doodle is crippled mentally and physically. However, Doodle is a normal human being mentally, but has some difficulties physically. The narrator wants Doodle to become a “normal” boy, so he teaches him to practically all the activities any boy Doodle’s age would do. One day, Doodle and the narrator were playing in the fields. A large storm came and both had to run home before it became too hard to handle. Doodle started running after his brother, but couldn’t withstand it, and eventually, his stamina died down and had to rest. The narrator felt ticked off by Doodle and deserted him. A few minutes later, the narrator discovered Doodle under a tree, blood trickling from his mouth, dead. In the short story “The Scarlet Ibis” by James Hurst, it shows how pride can be beneficial in some ways, and harmful in other ways.

Pride of the narrator teaches a physically deprived little boy Doodle how to walk and gives him the same amenities as every other normal child. The pride of the narrator, “I [he] am going to teach Doodle how to walk” (170). Pride, in this instance, gives the narrator enough courage and vigor to help another human being in a positive way. The world needs more people such as the narrator, who is willing to benefit other’s lives in a tenderhearted way, to make another’s life better and happier. For example, “It’s so pretty, so pretty, pretty, pretty” (170). One’s pride can truly take the simple pleasures in life and make someone happy. The narrator does a simple task by taking his brother down to the swamp. By that action, Doodle is enthralled in happiness because he sees something he has never seen before. Having pride can be beneficial in many ways; however, having too much pride can be pernicious.

In the story, the narrator’s pride sometimes takes him over and eventually kills his brother Doodle. At the end of the story, the narrator “…as I [He] lay sheltering my fallen scarlet ibis from the heresy of rain” (176). The narrator’s carelessness and great