The Scarlet Ibis Essay, Research Paper

James Hurst’s short story, “The Scarlet Ibis” reveals that the brotherly bond between the narrator and Doodle is an essential component in the story. If Doodle was a girl, the brotherly connection and bond would be lost, resulting in many variations throughout the story.

If Doodle was a girl the narrator probably wouldn’t spend as much time with Doodle. A brother-brother relationship is very different than a brother-sister relationship. Doodle would likely be closer to another female such as her mother. Young girls tend to spend more time indoors with their mothers learning to sew, playing with dolls and other girl things. Its not that a brother-sister relationship is non-existent, but its a lot different. With Doodle spending more time inside, “she” wouldn’t ever experience summers down by the swamp learning to run, box and climb trees. All of those things are things that little boys do. Brothers spend more time outside running, wrestling and playing sports. They enjoy doing things that take physical skill. Even if Doodle went outside, she probably wouldn’t be interested in running through the forest and climbing trees. Chances are that she would be more into picking wildflowers and feeding the squirrels. There are rare occasions where you will find a real special brother-sister relationship, especially at the age Doodle and his brother were at. Younger children often play with other kids of the same gender and thinks the opposite sex has “kuddies.” The two children would be at a vulnerable age to risk a close relationship. Close brother and sister relationships don’t usually evolve until the mid teenage years. For example I have two older sisters that I am very close with now, but when I was young I didn’t want anything to with them. So I began to develop a close relationship with my dad at a young age. That is why I believe that if Doodle was a girl, she would have been connected closer with her mother because of the gender relation. Not as much is expected physically from a girl, therefore I believe Doodle would be handicapped the rest of “her” life. As a result, Doodle may have never died.

As you can see, I strongly believe the story would have been greatly altered if Doodle was a girl. The brotherly bond was a nessacary and vital part in the story. If Doodle was a girl the bond with narrator and the outcome of the story would have contrasted greatly. Death probably would have been prevented if Doodle was a girl.