Skip to main content

In The Scarlet Ibis by James Hurst, what sin does the brother believe is responsible for his actions?

The early Christian philosopher St. Augustine once said, "It was pride that changed angels into devils; it is humility that makes men angels." Pride is also considered to be one of the seven deadly sins and this is probably what the narrator meant when he admitted that he displayed pridefulness toward his brother Doodle, although the word "sin" is never used. The narrator's pride will not allow him to admit that his brother is crippled...

The early Christian philosopher St. Augustine once said, "It was pride that changed angels into devils; it is humility that makes men angels." Pride is also considered to be one of the seven deadly sins and this is probably what the narrator meant when he admitted that he displayed pridefulness toward his brother Doodle, although the word "sin" is never used. The narrator's pride will not allow him to admit that his brother is crippled and may never do the things which the narrator believes are important, such as running fast, swimming and boxing. The narrator, who is revealing the story in a flashback, openly admits his pride in the description of his feelings after he and Doodle show their parents that the boy can walk:






They did not know that I did it for myself, that pride, whose slave I was, spoke to me louder than all their voices, and that Doodle walked only because I was ashamed of having a crippled brother. 



Later, this pride gets the best of the narrator when, after his plan fails to make Doodle as physically strong as other boys, he runs away from Doodle in a driving rainstorm. Once his pride and "childish spite" subside, it is too late and he finds Doodle dead from over-exhaustion and internal bleeding. While it would be a stretch to say that the narrator killed his brother (Doodle had major physical challenges), it is certainly true that he contributed to the boy's death through his misplaced pride.




Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

What is the meaning of "juggling fiends" in Macbeth?

Macbeth is beginning to realize that the three witches have been deceiving him since he first encountered them. Like jugglers, they have kept changing their forecasts in order create confusion. This is particularly apparent when the Second Apparition they raise in Act IV,   Scene 1 tells him that no man of woman born can overcome him in hand-to-hand battle--and then Macbeth finds himself confronted by the one man he has been avoiding out of a... Macbeth is beginning to realize that the three witches have been deceiving him since he first encountered them. Like jugglers, they have kept changing their forecasts in order create confusion. This is particularly apparent when the Second Apparition they raise in Act IV,   Scene 1 tells him that no man of woman born can overcome him in hand-to-hand battle--and then Macbeth finds himself confronted by the one man he has been avoiding out of a sense of guilt, and that man tells him: Despair thy charm. And let the angel whom thou still hast serve...
Post a Comment
Read more

What are some external and internal conflicts that Montag has in Fahrenheit 451?

 Montag, the protagonist of Fahrenheit 451, faces both external and internal conflicts throughout the novel. Some examples of these conflicts are: External Conflicts: Conflict with the society: Montag lives in a society that prohibits books and critical thinking. He faces opposition from the government and the people who enforce this law. Montag struggles to come to terms with the fact that his society is based on censorship and control. Conflict with his wife: Montag's wife, Mildred, is completely absorbed in the shallow and meaningless entertainment provided by the government. Montag's growing dissatisfaction with his marriage adds to his external conflict. Conflict with the fire captain: Montag's superior, Captain Beatty, is the personification of the oppressive regime that Montag is fighting against. Montag's struggle against Beatty represents his external conflict with the government. Internal Conflicts: Conflict with his own beliefs: Montag, at the beginning of th...
Post a Comment
Read more

In A People's History of the United States, why does Howard Zinn feel that Wilson made a flimsy argument for entering World War I?

"War is the health of the state," the radical writer Randolph Bourne said, in the midst of the First World War. Indeed, as the nations of Europe went to war in 1914, the governments flourished, patriotism bloomed, class struggle was stilled, and young men died in frightful numbers on the battlefields-often for a hundred yards of land, a line of trenches. -- Chapter 14, Page 350, A People's History of the United States Howard Zinn outlines his arguments for why World War I was fought in the opening paragraph of Chapter 14 (referenced above). The nationalism that was created by the Great War benefited the elite political and financial leadership of the various countries involved. Socialism, which was gaining momentum in Europe, as was class struggle, took a backseat to mobilizing for war. Zinn believes that World War I was fought for the gain of the industrial capitalists of Europe in a competition for capital and resources. He states that humanity itself was punished by t...
Post a Comment
Read more