The memory of the ibis’s visit triggers the memory or Doodle in the brother’s mind. The link between the ibis and Doodle develops later in the story, when the ibis arrives, being described in detail. Doodle first notices the bird and goes outside to investigate further. Doodle’s father establishes that the scarlet ibis lives in the tropics and that it must have been separated from its flock and blown in by a storm. During this moment of the story, the similarity between the ibis and Doodle appears. In “The Scarlet Ibis,” James Hurst establishes a symbolic link between the bird and the disabled boy, illuminating the significance of Doodle’s existence, appearance, and death.

The Scarlet Ibis and Doodle do not exist in their natural environment. The first evidence to support this shows that both the Ibis and Doodle have unusual appearances. They both display uniqueness and fragileness. The narrator described the Ibis as a unique being: “…A bird the size of a chicken with scarlet feathers and long legs” (561). Doodle also shows signs of uniqueness: “He seemed all head with a tiny body which was red and stretched like an old man” (555). In addition, the reader pictures the fragility of both the ibis and Doodle.

James Hurst proves this by describing the ibis feathers flying everywhere after only a small amount of movement and describing how Doodle cannot get too excited, too hot, too cold, and/or too tired. Doodle and the Scarlet Ibis exist in a world which they cannot survive. The bird belongs in the tropics and Doodle cannot live up to his brother’s standards of what a brother should be. James Hurst creates the sense in the story that the rough, ordinary world cannot receive and nurture such rare beings as Doodle and the blown-in ibis and that the oblivious world cannot accept people for their uniqueness and confines them in a prison of limited expectations.

In addition, James Hurst uses winged beings to characterize Doodle. Doodle constantly imagines fantasies where people have wings and fly wherever they want to go. Also, Brother’s comment that giving Doodle the name William Armstrong “…Is like tying a big tail on a small kite” characterizes Doodle. James Hurst also uses winged beings to characterize Doodle in order to portray his innocence. The winged beings symbolize heavenly angels which link Doodle with a divine level of existence.

Finally, both the ibis and Doodle carry a touch of divinity, their death being suggestive of that of Christ. The ibis alights in the bleeding tree, and Christ has bled from his wounds on a cross. The tree may be a symbol of the cross. Both the ibis and Doodle are meant to be Christ figures, dying for others’ sins and somehow bringing them grace. Doodle provided an opportunity for his brother to learn and exercise unconditional love and compassion. Although his brother fails to absorb these lessons before Doodle dies, his tears over Doodle’s dead body show that he has learned at last, but at the cost of Doodle’s life.

In conclusion, James Hurst established a symbolic link in “The Scarlet ibis” between the ibis and Doodle, which illuminates the significance of his existence, appearance, and death. Both the Scarlet Ibis and Doodle do exist in a natural world, unable to survive. James Hurst also symbolically links Doodle with the ibis in order to portray his innocence. Finally, Doodle’s and the ibis’ death resemble that of Christ which ties Christian beliefs into the story. James Hurst uses symbolism in “The Scarlet Ibis” which makes the story linger in the reader’s imagination.