ibis The Scarlet Ibis Power Point

The Scarlet Ibis by James Hurst Introducing the Story Literary Skills Focus: Symbolism and Theme Reading Skills Focus: Analyzing Details TechFocus Writing Skills Focus: Think as a Reader

The Scarlet Ibis

by James Hurst

Introducing the Story

Literary Skills Focus: Symbolism and Theme

Reading Skills Focus: Analyzing Details

TechFocus

Writing Skills Focus: Think as a Reader/Writer

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The Scarlet Ibis

by James Hurst

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The Scarlet Ibis

Introducing the Story

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The Scarlet Ibis

Introducing the Story

I thought myself pretty smart at many things

The Scarlet Ibis

Introducing the Story

The narrator of “The Scarlet Ibis” describes his life with Doodle, his physically disabled brother

When the narrator decides

that Doodle will learn to walk

—and perhaps run—

[End of Section]

he may be in for a painful

lesson about life:

I did not know then that pride is a wonderful, terrible thing,

a seed that bears two vines, life and death.

—from “The Scarlet Ibis” by James Hurst

The Scarlet Ibis

Literary Skills Focus: Symbolism and Theme

A symbol is an object, person, animal, or event that we often associate with other concepts

Symbols are all around

us in our everyday

lives

Their special meanings

often have been handed

down over time

A writer might take an object

or event and make it stand for some human concern.

In literature, the use of symbols adds deeper levels

of meaning to a work.

A symbol might even be

associated with a particular

character, like that magic

lamp and Aladdin.

The Scarlet Ibis

Literary Skills Focus: Symbolism and Theme

Symbols speak to the reader’s emotions and imagination They make stories memorable.

The Scarlet Ibis

Literary Skills Focus: Symbolism and Theme

In “The Scarlet Ibis,” you’ll notice associations—and similarities—between a character and a bird.

Pay attention to how the

author uses the symbolic

connection between that

character and the bird

The symbolism can help

deepen your understanding of

the character

The Scarlet Ibis

Literary Skills Focus: Symbolism and Theme

Writers also reveal their thoughts and feelings about

a subject in the work’s theme. The theme

is its central idea is not usually stated directly.

The Scarlet Ibis

Literary Skills Focus: Symbolism and Theme

Because theme is not usually stated directly, you

should consider all of the work’s elements, including its symbols Then, make an educated guess about its theme

setting

characters plot

symbols

Theme

The Scarlet Ibis

Literary Skills Focus: Symbolism and Theme

Read the following What clues can you find that

suggest a theme about life renewing itself?

[End of Section]

Mr Day held his tiny new

grandbaby in his wrinkled hands

Outside the window of his hospital

room, the gray of winter was

broken by the first flowers of

spring peeking up from the

ground.

Mr Day stroked the baby’s

blanket, the same one in which

he’d wrapped his own son thirty

years ago

Mr Day held his tiny new

grandbaby in his wrinkled

hands Outside the window of his

hospital room, the gray of winter

was broken by the first flowers of

spring peeking up from the

ground.

Mr Day stroked the baby’s

blanket, the same one in which

he’d wrapped his own son thirty

years ago

Mr Day held his tiny new

grandson in his wrinkled

hands Outside the window of his

hospital room, the gray of

winter was broken by the first

flowers of spring peeking up

from the ground.

Mr Day stroked the baby’s

blanket, the same one in which

he’d wrapped his own son thirty

years ago

Mr Day held his tiny new

grandson in his wrinkled

hands Outside the window of his

hospital room, the gray of

winter was broken by the first

flowers of spring peeking up

from the ground.

Mr Day stroked the baby’s

blanket, the same one in which

he’d wrapped his own son

thirty years ago

The side-by-side descriptions of hands suggests a connection between young and old.

The description of the change from winter to spring shows a natural renewal of life.

Symbolically, the blanket links the lives of grandfather, son, and grandson in renewal.

The Scarlet Ibis

Literary Skills Focus: Symbolism and Theme

The Scarlet Ibis

Reading Skills Focus: Analyzing Details

As you read, pay attention to details, even those

that may seem insignificant

character, plot, and settingcan develop deeper meaning as a story develops.Details about

Listen to this excerpt from “The Scarlet Ibis.”

What are some of the details included in the

description?

What larger meaning might they suggest?

The Scarlet Ibis

Reading Skills Focus: Analyzing Details

Into Action: Use a chart to record details and see what larger meanings they might point to.

[End of Section]

Into Action: Detail Chart

Summer was dead; autumn not yet born. Nature might mirror human experience—birth and death.

Story Details Larger Meanings

Graveyard flowers are blooming. Despite death, life goes on.

The Scarlet Ibis

Reading Skills Focus: Analyzing Details

The Scarlet Ibis

TechFocus: Analyzing Details

As you read "The Scarlet Ibis," think about using presentation software to create a presentation to accompany this story What images might you include in your presentation?

[End of Section]

Find It in Your Reading

The Scarlet Ibis

Writing Skills Focus: Think as a Reader/Writer

This story is narrated by a man looking back on his childhood relationship with his younger brother

As you read, note passages that help you

understand this relationship

“Aw, come on, Doodle,” I urged, “you can do it Do you

want to be different from everybody else when you start

school?”

“Does it make any difference?”

“It certainly does,” I said “Now, come on,” and I helped

him up.

Vocabulary

The Scarlet Ibis

Vocabulary

imminent adj.: near; about to happen.

infallibility n.: inability to make a mistake.

reiterated v.: repeated; said several times.

iridescent adj.: rainbowlike; displaying a

shifting range of colors

mar v.: damage; spoil.

The Scarlet Ibis

Vocabulary

The word imminent often describes an

undesirable event that is about to happen

After being caught

unprepared for his part

of the group’s

presentation, Will knew

that disaster was

imminent.

The Scarlet Ibis

Vocabulary

What imminent event is suggested by the

picture above?

The Scarlet Ibis

The Scarlet Ibis

The Scarlet Ibis

Vocabulary

Which of the birds below has iridescent feathers?

The Scarlet Ibis

Vocabulary

Which of the birds below has iridescent feathers?

peacock eagle cardinal

The Scarlet Ibis

-ity

suffix used to show a condition

The Scarlet Ibis

Vocabulary

Karen prides herself on her perfection

Which of the following is NOT an example of Karen’s

infallibility?

a She scored 100% on her math test

b She received applause for her violin solo

c She woke up late for work

The Scarlet Ibis

Vocabulary

Karen prides herself on her perfection

Which of the following is NOT an example of Karen’s

infallibility?

a She scored 100% on her math test

b She received applause for her violin solo

c She woke up late for work.

The Scarlet Ibis

The Scarlet Ibis

Vocabulary

Mr Evans is angry because he had just reiterated

the rule, yet Alice had broken it

Mr Evans is getting tired of repeating himself

The Scarlet Ibis

Vocabulary

The word mar suggests that something has caused physical damage

Tomato sauce had marred

Millie’s white gown

That spill forever marred

Millie’s memories of her

wedding day

Mar also may suggest a less

tangible sort of destruction

The Scarlet Ibis

Vocabulary

Josh was ashamed by his yearbook photo, though there was only a slight blemish to mar his otherwise perfect face

Which of the following is the best substitute for the word mar?

a embellish

b tarnish

c decorate

The Scarlet Ibis

Vocabulary

Josh was ashamed by his yearbook photo, though there was only a slight blemish to mar his otherwise perfect face

Which of the following is the best substitute for the word mar?

a embellish

b tarnish

c decorate

The End