COPY: "The Scarlet Ibis" Questions

What motivates the narrator to persist in teaching Doodle to walk, despite facing discouragement?

The narrator paints a picture of the future for Doodle to encourage him to keep trying. What is the primary purpose of this imagery?

The phrase 'Hope no longer hid in the palmetto thicket but perched like a cardinal in the lacy toothbrush tree' signifies what?

Why do the narrator and Doodle decide to keep Doodle's ability to walk a secret until his birthday?

Aunt Nicey's comment about the 'Resurrection' implies what about the family's expectations?

What is the significance of revealing Doodle's ability to walk on his sixth birthday?

Why does the narrator cry after Doodle reveals he can walk and is being embraced by the family?

What does the act of waltzing Aunt Nicey around the room after Doodle walks reveal about the narrator?

What was the narrator's primary motivation for teaching Doodle to walk?

What does the imagery of the approaching storm primarily symbolize in the context of Doodle's journey?

Doodle's lies are characterized by:

The narrator's internal conflict is best represented by which of the following?

What does the vision of the future that Doodle presents suggest about his personality?

What does Doodle's repeated plea, "Brother, Brother, don’t leave me! Don’t leave me!" suggest about his character?

What is the significance of the narrator and Doodle planning to live in Old Woman Swamp?

Which of the following best describes the significance of the phrase, "what are the words that can solder cracked pride?"

How does the setting of the marsh contribute to the overall mood of the passage?

The narrator's belief in his own "infallibility" after teaching Doodle to walk leads him to:

The shattering of the gum tree by lightning can be interpreted as:

How does the mention of Doodle's go-cart and coffin in the barn loft contribute to the story's meaning?

What does the narrator's act of running ahead of Doodle in the storm reveal about his character?

Which of the following best describes the narrator's attitude towards Doodle's "lies?"

What does the phrase "pot of gold" most likely symbolize for the narrator and Doodle?

The narrator's increased efforts to train Doodle before school starts can best be described as:

What is the primary emotion driving the narrator's insistence that Doodle touch the mahogany box?

How does the author use color imagery to enhance the description of the setting and intensify the emotions conveyed in the passage?

The phrase "pride, whose slave I was" suggests:

The screech owl emerging from the box can best be interpreted as:

How does the description of the hurricane primarily function in the passage?

When the narrator states, "It seemed so hopeless from the beginning that it’s a miracle I didn’t give up," what does this suggest about his motivation for teaching Doodle to walk?

What is the significance of the war references (Chateau-Thierry, Amiens, Soissons, Belleau Wood) to the overall mood of the passage?

Daddy's reaction to the ruined crops after the hurricane reveals:

The phrase "pride is a wonderful, terrible thing, a seed that bears two vines, life and death" suggests that:

What does the setting of Old Woman Swamp symbolize in the context of Doodle's struggle to walk?

The phrase "Promise hung about us like leaves" suggests:

Why do Doodle and the narrator return to the house giggling after witnessing their father's outburst?

The narrator's statement, "All of us must have something or someone to be proud of, and Doodle had become mine," reveals:

Based on the information provided in the text, what can be inferred about Doodle's personal desires regarding learning to walk?

Which of the following literary devices is most evident in the description of the crops "withered, curled up, and then died under the thirsty sun?"

Why does the narrator become embarrassed with Doodle?

What does the narrator's question, 'Do you want to be different from everybody else when you start school?', most likely reveal about his motivations for teaching Doodle?

The phrase "slipped through the dog days" implies what about the narrator and Doodle's training program?

What does the line, 'It was too far into a net of expectations and had left no crumbs behind' suggest about the narrator's and Doodle's situation?

Daddy's remark, 'It's so calm, I wouldn't be surprised if we had a storm this afternoon,' can be interpreted as what?

How does Doodle's reaction to the strange croaking noise and red bird differ from the narrator's initial response?

What does the description of the bird – 'a bird the size of a chicken, with scarlet feathers and long legs, was perched precariously' – suggest about its condition?

The detail that "Doodle’s hands were clasped at his throat" when seeing the bird likely symbolizes what?

Given the context of the passage, which of the following themes is MOST evident?