“The Scarlet Ibis” is a touching story, full of symbolism and meaning. It is told through the narrator’s eyes, as he looks back on his childhood, and the remarkable life of his younger brother, Doodle. It is a story of two brothers, and how the pride of one person can be an incredible and destructive force.
With the TWIST method, students are asked to look for and analyze the following terms: tone, word choice, imagery and detail, style, and theme. Learn more about how to make prose analysis fun and engaging with storyboards!
“…the oriole nest in the elm was untenanted and rocked back and forth like an empty cradle.” This image of an empty nest suggests a missing child.
The author is using foreshadowing in the following lines: “summer was dead, but autumn was not yet born”; “…last graveyard flowers were blooming”; “speaking softly the names of our dead”.
The narrator speaks in a past tense tone using words and imagery that sound like the theme could be the passing or memory of a loved one.