The Symbol of The Fallen Bird in The Scarlet Ibis by James Hurst

Sometimes we overlook the sly glances we give people in the halls. Sometimes we will walk on the side opposite them. We might even whisper under our breath, all because they are different. They might learn differently or talk differently but are they so peculiar? All these small things that we do to isolate the “different” can hurt a person’s self-esteem, body image, and confidence. In “The Scarlet Ibis”, James Hurst uses the symbol of the fallen bird to reveal the crippling feeling of not living up to the expectations of modern society. Hurst silently comments on these damaging acts by creating a character that was born with a disability, Doodle. Doodle’s older brother cannot stand the fact that he is not able to do the things that other kids can do, so he makes it his mission to change Doodle. What he does not realize at first is Doodle’s limits and how much change he can take until he falls.

Throughout the story, the image of the fallen scarlet ibis symbolizes Doodle’s struggle with his brother’s inability to accept Doodle for himself. When the reader sees the cadaver of the scarlet ibis for the first time, the narrator observes that “Even death did not mar its grace, for it lay on the earth like a broken vase of red flowers ”. Even though the bird has this exotic beauty within it, the “broken vase” symbolizes how breakable Doodle was because it represents how careless brother was with him. By highlighting the fragility of Doodle, Hurst comments on how damaging the judgment of others can feel on someone different in their eyes. At the end of the story, Brother sees the scarlet ibis within Doodle’s corpse, “I lay there crying, sheltering my fallen scarlet ibis ”. Just like the beautiful ibis, Doodle is unable to survive in a harsh world. His delicate body is pushed far beyond its limits by his big brother. Doodle tries to hold on to whatever he can but like the bird, he eventually falls. Brother was too blinded by the rain of selfish pride to look beyond his egotistical needs and go back for Doodle. Through the symbol of Doodle’s death, Hurst remarks on the careless views that society has put upon people who are unique or special.

To conclude, we should not push anyone to their limits by devaluing them because they are unique. As a growing community, we need to know when to stop the criticism, the hate, the torture. Put yourself in their shoes, imagine how it would feel to walk around and be judged harshly on something you cannot even control. We must look past these arbitrary differences and accept these people as friends. We must adopt them into this cruel world and catch them before they fall.