The Scarlet Ibis A Selfish Deed Is Not Always Bad

The short story written by James Hurst “ The Scarlet Ibis” elucidates that a selfish deed is not always bad. The story starts with the narrator, Brother, and his little brother Doodle. When Doodle was born he was red and all shriveled up, a disappointment, and everyone thought that he was going to die. When their mother always told Brother to take Doodle with him everywhere he went, Brother was embarrassed to be seen with his 5 year old brother, who couldn’t walk, but had to be pulled everywhere in a mini go-cart. The narrator made it his mission to set out to teach Doodle to walk and everything else, so he wasn’t behind everyone in his grade. One day they went to Horsehead Landing, so narrator could teach Doodle how to swim but there came a …show more content…
Another example that illustrates that a selfish deed is not always bad is when Brother takes Doodle to the kitchen in the go-kart for breakfast. Towards the middle of the story, the narrator explains what happen when Brother and Doodle entered the kitchen. Brother said,” At breakfast on our chosen day, when Mama, Daddy, and Aunt Nicey were in the dining room, I brought Doodle to the door in the go-cart just as usual and had them turn their backs… I helped Doodle up, and when he wa standing alone I let them look”(5). That day at breakfast Brother wanted to show his parents and aunt what he accomplished, and that he wasn’t going to let Doodle embarrass him anymore because he taught Doodle to walk. Then when his parents saw Doodle walk they couldn’t help but cry and hug Doodle for what he accomplished, and then Doodle told everyone that Brother taught him to walk and everyone hugged him and started crying. The short story written by James Hurst “ The Scarlet Ibis” demonstrates a selfish deed is not always