Scarlet Ibis Narrator's Selfishness

Words: 373
Pages: 2

In “The Scarlet Ibis,” Hurst indirectly characterizes the narrator by using his thoughts and actions to convey his selfish attitude towards his disabled younger brother, demonstrating how being too prideful can cause people to hurt those they care about. Pride is mentioned multiple times throughout the story. After weeks of rigorous practice, the narrator teaches Doodle to walk. When Doodle walks in front of their parents for the first time, the narrator reflects on why he taught Doodle. “They did not know that I did it for myself: that pride, whose slave I was, spoke to me louder than all their voices” (9). This sentence reveals the narrator’s selfishness and pride. He is driven by pride for teaching his brother, which is linked to his embarrassment