What does the go-cart symbolize in the scarlet ibis

In James Hurst’s “The Scarlet Ibis,” Hurst uses vivid imagery, strong symbolism, and well-written diction to raise awareness and sensitivity towards children with disabilities. In the short story “The Scarlet Ibis,” Brother teaches Doodle, who is disabled, to walk. At the beginning of the story, few people believe that Doodle will even survive. Doodle overcomes the challenge of walking, and he finds a Scarlet Ibis in a tree, but it later dies. At the end of the story, Brother and Doodle are running to get home in a storm, and Doodle sadly passes away and does not get home.

First, imagery in “The Scarlet Ibis” is used to make people mindful towards the adolescence that are challenged. After brother talks of how awful Doodle is, he states,

Disappointment occurs when people do not meet standards. In these situations, those must adapt, overcome, and always keep faith. Relationships between families require a bond that can never be broken. James Hurst writes a masterful realistic fiction short story called “The Scarlet Ibis.” Brother has an invalid brother renamed Doodle, who is always following Brother around. Doodle also has trouble during the various seasons. Brother tries to make Doodle normal but is too insistent with the process. During the training, a responsibility is put on Brother by the go cart. The Scarlet Ibis is a symbol for the death of Doodle, along with the tombstone, and James Hurst uses various symbols throughout the story. The symbolism in “The Scarlet Ibis” represents Doodle and the various thoughts and feelings around him. James Hurst uses the seasons as symbols for Doodle’s progress. Various seasons portray positives and negatives. Winters portray regression, “For I [am] in school and Doodle [suffers] one bad cold after another” (Hurst 114). After thinking Doodle has mental problems, the family realizes he is at a physical disability. The winter season casts a bad spell on Doodle and represents death and downfall. Spring and summer displays progress, “Success [lies] at the end of summer like a pot of gold, and our campaign” (Hurst 114) starts very well. While Doodle starts excellently to his training, the progress of spring is cut short due to Brother’s pride. Campaigning for regularity Old Woman Swamp is the location of Doodle’s success during the spring. Inadequacies during the winter but advancement in the spring are the symbols for Doodle’s progress. Hurst exquisitely depicts these symbols beautifully in “The Scarlet Ibis.... ... middle of paper ... ... a gigantic hint to the beliefs of Doodle’s parents. This is important because this might be one of the reasons why Mama lets Doodle go with Brother because she also thinks he is invalid. Death, doubt, lack of faith and pride are the symbols that connect with the tombstone. The symbolism used in “The Scarlet Ibis” by James Hurst impacts the story by indirectly giving the reader relationships between two objects or ideas. The three main symbols are the seasons, the go cart, and the tombstone. These are proven by Doodle’s progress throughout the year, the hardship that Brother faces handling Doodle, and the imminent death of the baby. Again, Hurst uses symbolism to describe Doodle’s family and all the emotions surrounding them. Works Cited Hurst, James. The Scarlet Ibis. Mirrors and Windows: Connecting with Literature, Level IV. St. Paul: EMC, 2009. Print.

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When it becomes clear that Doodle is able to crawl and wants to experience the world, Doodle’s father builds him a go-cart so that Brother can pull him around. It signifies the ways in which Doodle works with his limitations, but it also highlights Brother’s frustration with Doodle’s limitations, as he is made to lug Doodle around wherever he goes. When Doodle learns to walk, he no longer needs the go-cart, and it is placed in the barn loft next to his small coffin, foreshadowing that his “development program” will ultimately be the cause of his death.