The Ultimate Failure
In the story "The Scarlet Ibis" written by James Hurst, the narrator of the s
tory changes from not accepting his physically disabled brother Doodle to realizing that Doodle cann
ot be changed. The story "The Scarlet Ibis" is about a boy who lets his pride take the life of his
younger brother Doodle. The story begins when Doodle is born. Doodle has a weak heart, which cause
s him not to be able to do things normal children can do. His brother, the narrator is disappointed
and even embarrassed of his brother, Doodle. He begins to get so frustrated with hauling Doodle ar
ound that he begins to teach him to walk against his will. The narrator has so much pride in what h
e has taught his brother that he ends up pushing him too hard and eventually kills him. During the
beginning of the story, the narrator is very impatient with Doodle because his is different than the
other boys and he is anything but sympathetic. During the story, their relationship grows but the
narrator is still unable to accept Doodle's limitations. At the end of the story, the narrator push
es Doodle so hard that he eventually killed him. In the beginning of the story, the narrator is unab
le to accept the fact that his brother is not like other boys. It was evident that the narrator was
not sympathetic to Doodle's fragile condition because he quotes, it was bad enough having an invali
d brother, but having one that was possibly not all there was unbearable, so I began to make plans t
o kill him by smothering him in a pillow". The narrator doesn't accept Doodle because he is differe
nt and definitely sympathetic to Doodle's condition. The narrator wanted a brother that could run a
nd jump and play with him. The narrator shows he is not sympathetic towards Doodle when he says, "b
ut he learned to crawl...for the first time he became on of us". He is implying that Doodle is diff
erent and wants nothing to do with him unless he is normal. He outcasts Doodle from the rest of his
family and only thinks of him as a burden. The narrator shows he is embarrassed by Doodle when he
quotes, "...and when Doodle was five years old I was embarressed at having a brother at that age who
couldn't walk". He was more worried about his own feelings than his brother. By the middle of "Th
e Scarlet Ibis", the narrator becomes so embarrassed of the thought of not having a normal brother t
hat he decides to try and change Doodle. He begins to take it upon himself to teach Doodle to walk.
Everyday the narrator takes Doodle down to Old Woman's Swamp to start training him. Walking wasn't
Doodles first priority; it was his brother's. This is evident when the narrator states; "It seemed
hopeless from the beginning that it is a miracle I didn't give up. But all of us must have somethi
ng or someone to be proud of, and Doodle had become mine". When Doodle and the narrator show their
family that Doodle can walk, everyone is proud of Doodle. The narrator was proud of himself. The n
arrator gets so caught up in his pride that he begins to push Doodle too hard. The narrator sets th
e deadline of the day Doodle begins school because he was worried about himself being embarrassed th
at Doodle. He decides to teach Doodle to do other things like running, swimming, climbing and fight
ing for his own good and not Doodles. He wants Doodle to be like everyone else. In the end of the s
tory, the narrator gets so caught up in his own pride that he forgets that Doodle is an extremely fr
agile person. When the deadline came, the narrator and Doodle still have not reached their goal. T
he narrator becomes so discouraged because he realized that Doodle would never be like other boys.
The narrator states, "I should have already admitted defeat, but my pride wouldn't let me." The nar
rator continues to push Doodle on their last outing. Towards the end of the day, both the narrator
and Doodle know that they have failed. The narrator runs from Doodle instead of being sympathetic t
owards Doodle. The narrator finally realizes that Doodle can never be changed and he is what he is.
The narrator shows this when he says, "...the flood of childish spite evanesced as well." This pr
oves he recognizes his plan to change Doodle was futile. Throughout the story, that narrator has a h
ard time accepting the fact that Doodle can never be changed. He is not sympathetic toward Doodle a
nd only cares about saving himself the embarrassment of having a physically challenged brother. The
narrator finds he must change Doodle by teaching him to walk and do other activities that normal bo
ys do. He lets his pride get the best of him. He kept pushing Doodle even though he already knew h
e had failed. Doodle would never be like a normal boy. He would never be able to swim, run and jum
p with the other boys at school. The narrator had realized his plans for Doodle resulted in the ult
imate failure, Doodle's death.
ultimate failure story scarlet ibis written james hurst narrato
r story changes from accepting physically disabled brother doodle realizing that doodle cannot chang
ed story scarlet ibis about lets pride take life younger brother doodle begins when born weak heart
which causes able things normal children brother narrator disappointed even embarrassed begins frust
rated with hauling around that begins teach walk against will narrator much pride what taught that e
nds pushing hard eventually kills during beginning very impatient with because different than other
boys anything sympathetic during their relationship grows still unable accept limitations pushes har
d eventually killed beginning unable accept fact like other boys evident sympathetic fragile conditi
on because quotes enough having invalid having possibly there unbearable began make plans kill smoth
ering pillow doesn accept because different definitely sympathetic condition wanted could jump play
with shows towards when says learned crawl first time became implying different wants nothing unless
normal outcasts from rest family only thinks burden shows embarrassed when quotes five years embarr
essed having couldn walk more worried about feelings than middle scarlet ibis becomes embarrassed th
ought normal decides change take upon himself teach walk everyday takes down woman swamp start train
ing walking wasn doodles first priority this evident states seemed hopeless from beginning miracle d
idn give must have something someone proud become mine show their family everyone proud proud himsel
f gets caught pride push hard sets deadline school worried about himself being decides teach other t
hings like running swimming climbing fighting good doodles wants like everyone else gets caught forg
ets extremely fragile person deadline came still have reached their goal becomes discouraged realize
d would never boys states should have already admitted defeat wouldn continues push last outing towa
rds both know they failed runs instead being towards finally realizes never changed what shows this
says flood childish spite evanesced well this proves recognizes plan change futile throughout time a
ccepting fact never changed toward only cares saving embarrassment physically challenged finds must
change teaching activities lets best kept pushing even though already knew failed would would able s
wim jump school realized plans resulted ultimate failure deathEssay, essays, termpaper, term paper,
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