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The Scarlet Ibis

• By James Hurst

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Vocabulary

• Brogans
• Heavy, ankle-high work shoes
• Infallibility
• Trustworthy
• Iridescent
• Beautiful colors
• Entrails
• Intestines
• Mar
• To damage/spoil

• Rank
• Social standing
• Piazzo
• A large porch
• Doodlebug
• A bug that crawls backward
• Marquisette
• A lightweight fabric
• Imminent
• Likely to occur

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Literary Terms

• Exposition
• Doodle is born and is different
• Rising Action
• Doodle learns to crawl and speak
• Climax
• Brother teaches Doodle to walk, run, swim, etc.
• Falling Action
• Ibis dies Doodle gets tired from running in the
  rain
• Resolution
• Doodle dies

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Literary Terms

• Geographical Place
• Old Woman Swamp
• Historical Year
• 1908
• Physical Place
• A cotton farm in NC
• Atmosphere
• Calm, working, bad weather

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Literary Terms

• What point of view is the story told from?
• 1st person
• What is the tone of the story based off of the
  first paragraph?
• Empathetic
• Who is the dynamic character in the story?
  Explain.
• Doodle he never gives up and keeps learning he
  is always changing.
• Give an example of imagery in the story.
• The hurricane is a bloodthirsty hawk at the
  entrails of a chicken.
• Give an example of symbolism in the story.
• The Scarlet Ibis symbolizes Doodle they are both
  fragile.

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Reading Questions

• How old was the narrator when Doodle was born?
• 6 years old
• What is wrong with Doodle?
• He is mentally and physically disabled.
• Describe Doodles appearance as a baby.
• He had a big head, looked like a wrinkly old man,
  was red-skinned and very fragile.
• What is the narrators reaction to his new
  brother?
• Hes upset because he cant do anything but lay
  there.

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Reading Questions

• What kind of brother did the narrator want?
• One he could play with.
• How long does it take to teach Doodle to walk?
• Almost a year.
• Describe Doodles reaction to seeing Old Woman
  Swamp for the first time.
• He is amazed its pretty.
• Why does the narrator cry when everyone
  congratulates him for teaching Doodle to walk?
• He completed a quest with his brother and is
  proud.

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Reading Questions

• Give two examples now the narrator is cruel to
  his brother.
• He shows him his coffin and ran so fast it killed
  him.
• What lies is Doodle good at telling?
• Bad ones.
• What is the theme of most of Doodles lies and
  what does this tell us about what is important to
  him?
• Flying people he has a vivid imagination.
• How does Doodle imagine his perfect future will
  be?
• He will marry his mother and always live with his
  family.

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Reading Questions

• Why did Doodle die?
• His heart was too weak and exploded.
• How was Doodle like the Scarlet Ibis?
• When taken out of their element, they die.
• They were both red-colored.
• They died in the same position crouching.
• Both beautiful prodigies.
• Both very fragile.
• What emotions is the color red usually associated
  with?
• Rage, fear, anger, death and/or passion.
• What happens to the Scarlet Ibis when in
  captivity? Far from home?
• It dies. Its color fades to pink. It grows
  fearful and gets out of sorts.

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Reading Questions

• Discuss the connection between the Scarlet Ibis
  and Doodle.
• Both were far from home.
• Both were small and fragile.
• Both were exhausted to death to get where they
  were trying to go.
• Neither could live up the standards they faced
  (the Ibis weather/climate, Doodle his brother)