In James Hursts short story The Scarlet Ibis, the author conveys his theme how pride can both nurture life and destroy it.

        Symbolism is also important because you need to recognize what items and characters symbolize and represent in the real world. For example, in Animal Farm, Boxer represents all the working class people in the United States. Also, the pigs represent power or somebody with a great amount of power such as leaders or presidents.

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In “The Scarlet Ibis,” James Hurst conveys his theme of how pride can both nurture life and destroy it in his short story because Doodle is born with abnormal bone structures and allows him to be very fragile and exotic. His brother, the speaker, is mean and embarrassed of Doodle because of his function but when they are alone they enjoy each other as if Doodle was a normal person.

        The setting takes place at Old Woman’s Swamp. It is symbolic because Old Woman Swamp is a dangerous place and you would think that you wouldn’t take your brother that is disabled and cannot walk to a dangerous place with alligators and leeches. Old Woman’s Swamp provides an escape where the brothers are “kings” and can be together without the society’s judgment. “The Scarlet Ibis” is also symbolic. The Ibis functions in the story to symbolize Doodle’s exotic presence and fragility. Scarlet represents passion, blood, life, and death. Also, the birds represent hope and peace.

        James Hurst conveys the theme of “The Scarlet Ibis” because the speaker is being pushed with shame to make Doodle do things that are beyond his ability to do so because the speaker is embarrassed of Doodle and wants him to walk and to be strong and fit so that Doodle and his brother can wrestle instead of pulling Doodle in a wagon. Also, the speaker pushes Doodle to make him do obstacles that he couldn’t do before such as forcing Doodle to walk so that the brother is not embarrassed that his brother cannot walk, and eventually that overcomes Doodle death. It is also symbolic because it shows different sides of characters. It shows the loving side of Doodle’s brother and his mean and embarrassed side of him. For example, Doodle’s brother is mean to Doodle most of the time, but when they go to Old Woman’s Swamp they act as if they were each other’s best friend.