“The Scarlet Ibis”

By James Hurst

Vocabulary

• Rank – Social standing • Piazzo – A large porch • Doodlebug – A bug that crawls backward • Marquisette – A lightweight fabric • Imminent – Likely to occur • Brogans – Heavy, ankle-high work shoes • Infallibility – Trustworthy • Iridescent – Beautiful colors • Entrails – Intestines • Mar – To damage/spoil

Literary Terms

• Exposition – Doodle is born and is “different” • Rising Action – Doodle learns to crawl and speak • Climax – Brother teaches Doodle to walk, run, swim, etc.

• Falling Action – Ibis dies; Doodle gets tired from running in the rain • Resolution – Doodle dies

Literary Terms

• Geographical Place – Old Woman Swamp • Historical Year – 1908 • Physical Place – A cotton farm in NC • Atmosphere – Calm, working, bad weather

Literary Terms

• What point of view is the story told from? – 1 st person • What is the tone of the story based off of the first

paragraph?

– Empathetic • Who is the dynamic character in the story? Explain. – Doodle – he never gives up and keeps learning; he is always changing.

• Give an example of imagery in the story. – The hurricane is a bloodthirsty hawk at the entrails of a chicken.

• Give an example of symbolism in the story. – The Scarlet Ibis symbolizes Doodle; they are both fragile.

Reading Questions

• How old was the narrator when Doodle was

born?

– 6 years old • What is wrong with Doodle? – He is mentally and physically disabled.

• Describe Doodle’s appearance as a baby. – He had a big head, looked like a wrinkly old man, was red skinned and very fragile.

• What is the narrator’s reaction to his new

brother?

– He’s upset because he can’t do anything but lay there.

Reading Questions

• What kind of brother did the narrator want? – One he could play with.

• How long does it take to teach Doodle to walk? – Almost a year.

• Describe Doodle’s reaction to seeing Old Woman

Swamp for the first time.

– He is amazed; it’s “pretty.” • Why does the narrator cry when everyone

congratulates him for teaching Doodle to walk?

– He completed a quest with his brother and is proud.

Reading Questions

• Give two examples now the narrator is cruel to his

brother.

– He shows him his coffin and ran so fast it killed him.

• What lies is Doodle good at telling? – Bad ones.

• What is the theme of most of Doodle’s lies and what does

this tell us about what is important to him?

– Flying people – he has a vivid imagination.

• How does Doodle imagine his perfect future will be? – He will marry his mother and always live with his family.

Reading Questions

• Why did Doodle die? – His heart was too weak and exploded.

• How was Doodle like the Scarlet Ibis? – When taken out of their element, they die. – They were both red-colored.

– They died in the same position – crouching.

– Both beautiful prodigies.

– Both very fragile.

• What emotions is the color red usually associated with? – Rage, fear, anger, death and/or passion.

• What happens to the Scarlet Ibis when in captivity? Far

from home?

– It dies. Its color fades to pink. It grows fearful and gets out of sorts.

Reading Questions

• Discuss the connection between the

Scarlet Ibis and Doodle.

– Both were far from home.

– Both were small and fragile.

– Both were exhausted to death to get where they were trying to go.

– Neither could live up the standards they faced (the Ibis – weather/climate, Doodle – his brother)