Short story analysis: “The Scarlet Ibis” by James Hurst
A. **Point of View – Who tells the story? Is it 1 st person, 3rd person limited, or 3rd person omniscient? Look
on page 129--do you notice a change in word choice? What happens here? How would the story change if it
came from another perspective?
B.**Plot – List the main actions of the story. Identify the inciting incident (initial complication), climax, and
resolution. Is plot a main concern of this story? Justify your answer.
C. Symbol – Is there anything in the story that has both symbolic and literal meaning? What in this story
represents one of the characters? Are there any repeated objects that have special meaning? If so, explain
using specific details from the story to support your answer.
D. Conflict – What are the main conflicts of the story? Are they external or internal? Which category (man v.
man…etc.) do they fall under?
E. Word Choice/Description – Choose four passages from different places throughout the story that are
significant. Point out what literary devices are used – e.g. simile, symbolism, foreshadowing, etc. Explain why
each passage is important to the story.
F. **Setting – Describe all aspects of the setting – time, place, and mood. Identify what they are and explain
why they are important to the story.
G. **Characters – Describe all aspects (3 categories) of the two main characters, Doodle and his brother, the
narrator.
H. **Theme –State the theme(s) of the short story, providing specific details from the story that would support
your idea as a theme. Remember that a theme should be general enough to have real world applications that
relate to a large audience.