Grade 12 HUMSS • Creative Nonfiction • Second Semester • First Quarter

Lesson 2: Literary Analysis

Performance Task 2 (Week 4)

Name: Fiona Phyllise S. Pinlac________

Grade & Section: 12 HUMSS Deran
Date of Submission: March 1, 2021_____________________
Score: _____/ 20

See if you can do this

TASK 2: LITERARY ANALYSIS

Step 1: Make sure that the lecture was read carefully to do this task.
Step 2: Read the short story, “The Scarlet Ibis” by James Hurst. A copy shall be attached.
Step 3 Use the given questions as your guide to be able to write a one-page literary
analysis of the given story.

1. What theme/themes does the author attempt to convey?

2. To convey the theme, mood, characterization, and etc., which techniques
does the author employ?
3. What ideas lie beneath the text?
4. What significance/importance do you find in the work?

Your Analysis paper must be encoded on a short bond, double-spaced, with one-
inch margin on each side. Use times new roman for a font style and size 12 for
the size for everything, including the title.

1 | Page Asst. Prof. Marilyn P. Acabo

“The Scarlet Ibis”

The main themes in "The Scarlet Ibis" are love versus pride, acceptance versus expectation, and

martyrdom. For love versus pride, brother’s motivations to help Doodle alternate between love

and shame. His love encourages kindness, but his shame over Doodle’s failings results in

Doodle's death. For acceptance versus expectation, Doodle’s parents accept him despite his

limitations, but Brother tries to force Doodle to conform to his expectations, at the cost of

Doodle’s life. Lastly, Martyrdom is when Doodle becomes an almost Christ-like figure; his love

of nature and general goodness make his death all the more impactful, and Brother's apparent

repentance suggests that Doodle's death has redeemed him. The most important literary

technique James Hurst uses in “The Scarlet Ibis” is symbolism and the connection between the

scarlet ibis and Doodle. Both Doodle and the ibis have similar characteristics, and the ibis is

symbolic of Doodle. Both the ibis and Doodle are fragile and unique. The ibis has been blown

to the farm by a violent storm, and when it arrives it is close to dying. Doodle, too, arrived in

the world weak, sick, and not expected to live with physical disabilities that make him different

than Brother. In addition to Hurst's message about the destructive nature of excessive pride.

The Scarlet Ibis" also suggests that people who are different or unusual should be appreciated,

even celebrated, for the wonder and care that they can bring to others. Other significance in

the literary work that made a mark on me are pride, differences, recognizing limits, family and

brotherhood, guilt, appreciating beauty and breaking expectations. In conclusion, Doodle's

brother becomes no better than Doodle himself, he is as morally bankrupt as Doodle was

physically incapable. In light of the situation the pride, greed and selfishness bettered the life of

Doodle, but also ended it short.

2 | Page Asst. Prof. Marilyn P. Acabo