In the story “The Scarlet Ibis”, numerous literary elements are used. Although, most of the events throughout the story foreshadow its ending. Such as when the narrator made his brother, Doodle, touch his coffin. Also when Doodle comes across a dying Scarlet Ibis it adds to what might happen to him in the end. Lastly, towards the end, Doodle begs his brother not to leave him, which foreshadows the story’s ending as well.
When Doodle was young, he was expected to die because of his weak condition. A mahogany coffin was created for him just in case he would pass away. Years passed and he managed to live. One day the narrator took him up to their barn loft and showed him where his coffin lay. He tried to force Doodle to touch it, but he refused. The narrator then threatened to leave him up in the loft alone if he did not touch it. The thought of being left by himself terrified Doodle. He cried “Don’t go leave me, Brother.” By refusing to touch the coffin and being frightened of being left alone foreshadows that Doodle was afraid of the thought of dying.
Throughout the story the narrator teaches his brother how to walk even though the doctor had concluded that he would never have the ability to do much physical activity. Once he teaches him how to walk he feels infallible and decides he will teach him to run, to swim, to climb trees and to fight.
Doodle did his best to satisfy his brother even though he sometimes over exerted himself. One day the brothers discovered a rare bird in their front yard. It was a Scarlet Ibis. Scarlet Ibis belongs in the Tropics. It traveled all the way to the Southern United States where the boys lived. It was obvious that the bird had worked hard to get to its destination, much like Doodle worked hard to be physically able to do everything he was told he would never be able to do. The bird fascinated Doodle. When they approached the bird he clasped at his throat. The bird fell from the tree, jerking its neck. It died; most likely from exhaustion.
No one paid much mind to its death but Doodle. “I’m going to bury him.” he said. He did what he said he would along with singing a song. He recognized its hard work and even probably realized the same thing could happen to him. When he clasped at his throat and the bird died, jerking its neck foreshadows Doodle’s death. In the end of the story he dies after falling while trying to keep up with his brother who is running. He couldn’t handle running. He died with his vermilion neck thrown back. He and the Scarlet Ibis died in similar ways. indent spacing -5/walk,he-1/do not need “had”/story,he -1/no contractions -1
In the end of the story, before Doodle had died, he and his brother were running to escape the rain. Doodle had fallen but his brother disregarded it and continued to run, leaving his brother behind. Doodle cried “Brother, Brother, don’t leave me! Don’t leave me!” This foreshadows that he knows that he is going to die. He begged his brother not to leave him in a very similar way before when they were in the barn loft. In the loft he was petrified of being left alone and the thought of dying. But this time it was really going to happen. When his brother turned around to come back for him, he was dead.
Most of the events throughout “The Scarlet Ibis” foreshadow its ending. When the narrator tries to force Doodle to touch his coffin, he is scared of being abandoned and dying.
Also, the Scarlet Ibis died the same way Doodle ended up dying. In addition, he begs the narrator not to leave him in the end. All of these events foreshadowed Doodle’s death.
