March 22, 2012
ANALYSIS OF "THE SCARLET
IBIS" BY JAMES HURST AND
RELATED TEXTS
March 22, 2012
VISUAL ANALYSIS
1.
2.
What is adversity?
How does Twain utilize
humour to make a point?
3. Is there truth to the first part
of the quote? The second part?
If so, what is it? If there is truth
to both parts, how can
contradictory statements be true
(paradox)?
March 22, 2012
POETRY ANALYSIS
DO NOT GO GENTLE INTO THAT GOOD NIGHT
Do not go gentle into that good night,
Old age should burn and rave at close of day;
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.
Though wise men at their end know dark is right,
Because their words had forked no lightning they
Do not go gentle into that good night.
Good men, the last wave by, crying how bright
Their frail deeds might have danced in a green bay,
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.
Wild men who caught and sang the sun in flight,
And learn, too late, they grieved it on its way,
Do not go gentle into that good night.
Grave men, near death, who see with blinding sight
Blind eyes could blaze like meteors and be gay,
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.
And you, my father, there on the sad height,
Curse, bless me now with your fierce tears, I pray.
Do not go gentle into that good night.
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.
-Dylan Thomas
March 22, 2012
Questions for discussion:
1. Who is the speaker of the poem?
2. Whom does the speaker address? How do you know?
3. What is “that good night”? How does this refrain affect the mood of the
poem?
4. What does Thomas mean by “Rage, rage against the dying of the light”?
5. How does the use of two refrains affect the mood and tone of the poem?
6. What does Thomas mean by “Though wise men at the end know dark is
right”?
7. What does Thomas mean by “too late” in stanza four?
8. How can you paraphrase the fifth stanza?
9. How would you describe the speaker’s mood in the last stanza?
10. How does Thomas present death in this poem?
11. What is Thomas’ tone or attitude toward death?
March 22, 2012
Part 3: Analysis of “The Scarlet Ibis” by James Hurst
Pre-Reading
1.
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
Focus on Literary Devices
Imagery
Allusion
Symbolism
Irony
Connotation/Denotation
2. Discussion:
a. Discuss the nature of sibling relationships.
b. What is ‘pride’? How can pride be both positive and negative?
c. How do humans generally react to people who are ‘different’? What effects
does this have on us? Our society?
During Reading
Motif Tracking: As we read the story, identify examples of imagery,
symbolism, allusion, foreshadowing, simile, metaphor, and irony within the
text.
March 22, 2012
Post Reading
1. Analyze story as a class:
a. Revisit pre-reading discussion topics and terminology
2. Students will complete factual questions and interpretation questions
independently. Their responses will undergo a homework check.
Students will then participate in a seminar-type discussion in groups
where their participation will be evaluated.
3. After the seminar, students will write a personal reflection on the
guiding question.
March 22, 2012
Factual Questions:
1. What is the full name of the author? James Hurst
2. What are the narrator’s brother’s real name and nickname? How are
these significant? William Armstrong (good for a tombstone), Doodle
(no one expects much)
3. What is wrong with the narrator’s brother? (physical disabilities/
delays)
4. What do the narrator and his brother do to overcome the brother’s
problem? (train to walk, run, climb, row, etc...)
5. Where do the brothers go to work on this problem? Old Woman
Swamp
6. Is there any success in overcoming the problem? Yes, but not
complete
7. What is a scarlet ibis? What happens to it? tropical bird; gets caught
in a storm, dies in their yard from exhaustion
8. What happens at the end of the story? Doodle dies like the ibis
March 22, 2012
Interpretation Questions:
1. What are some of the symbols in this story? Create a list of the concrete
objects and a description of what they symbolize.
2. How do the symbols in the story serve as foreshadowing?
3. How does James Hurst use imagery in a symbolic way here?
4. What is one allusion in this story and why do you think Hurst included it?
5. How is this story ironic?
6. What s the connotation of scarlet? What is the denotation? Are there any
other words used in this story that have a connotation that contributes to the
theme?
7. Why does the narrator teach his brother to walk?
8. Does the narrator love his brother?
9. What is the role of Aunt Nicey in this story? Is she an archetype? Discuss
the symbolism of her name.
10. Compare the incident of the ibis to the incident at the end of the story.
11. Why is the narrator not given a name?
12. What role does each of the following play? For each, write a quote from
the story:
a. Guilt
b. Pride
c. Love
d. Hate
March 22, 2012
March 22, 2012
Personal Response to Texts
What do these texts (the quote by Mark Twain, the poem Do Not Go
Gentle Into That Good Night, and the short story The Scarlet Ibis)
suggest about the effects of adversity on the human spirit? Support
your idea(s) with reference to one or more of the texts presented and to
your previous knowledge and/or experience.