The Scarlet Ibis

I. In the short story “The Scarlet Ibis” by James Hurst, the ibis symbolizes Doodle because of its instability and characteristics.
A. First, the Ibis and Doodle may be unstable, clumsy, and incapable of carrying themselves at times.
1. When the ibis was “carried around” (Hurst, 196) by Doodle to be buried, this symbolized Doodle being incapable of walking and having to get “pulled around” (191) by his brother.
2. Doodle’s “d(igging) (a) hole (for the Ibis)” (196) to be buried can relate to Doodle’s having   a “little mahogany coffin” (189) made for him.
3. When the ibis “began to flutter” (196), it symbolized Doodle’s beginning to “walk[…] slowly across the room” (1930 and taking a step to carry his own self.
4. The scarlet ibis’s “legs were crossed”(196) while Doodle’s legs were “bent sharply at (his) knees” (198) displaying their instability to be sturdy.
5. When the scarlet ibis “landed at (their) feet” (196), it relates to Doodle’s “collaps[ing] in mud” (197) because it demonstrates how they are clumsy and cannot easily carry themselves.
6. Doodle’s factor of constantly “collaps[ing]” (197) can be represented by the scarlet ibis’ suddenly “tumbl[ing] down” (196).
C. Second, the ibis has characteristics and features that often reflect Doodle.
1. The ibis’s “scarlet feathers” (196) symbolized Doodle because earlier in the story, Doodle is described as “red and shriveled” (189), which displays that they both share the red color.
2. The scarlet ibis “was perched precariously” (196) in a similar fashion like Doodle’s “lay(ing) very awkwardly” (198), both sharing the same characteristic of laying in a position in a unnatural way.
3. The scarlet ibis’ “wings were uncoordinated” (196) which can relate to Doodle’s having “[little or] no signs of walking” (190) or having no coordination with his legs.
4. When the scarlet ibis’ “wings […] hung down loosely” (196), it was represented by Doodle's "one hand trail(ing) limply" (197)
5. The scarlet ibis...