
	There is a bond between brothers; an unbreakable, irrevocable bond. Within that bond lie many emotions: love, pride, jealousy, and cruelty, just to name a few. Brothers understand one another, far more than anyone else with that kind of bond, and they can only see themselves when looking at their brother. It is when a situation is at its most dire when the true nature of this bond shines through, be it good or evil. When these emotions become clear, they carry with them great a cost. Part of understanding the emotions born of this fraternal link is dealing with the consequences that they bring. When one can look a brother in the eye and see within that person their own reflection, they see themselves not as others see them, but as they truly are. In their actions and the consequences of those actions is where their true character lies.  In “The Scarlet Ibis”, two brothers explore this theme, and all of the raging emotions that accompany it. Throughout a lush, vividly described landscape, these two boys set out on a futile journey. Bitter disappointment clashes with intense pride in the climactic scene, and only one brother escapes with his life. The theme is expressed through direct characterization of the protagonist, Doodle, and their interactions with each other, as well as through the narrator’s point of view, which communicates the complex feelings experienced by the protagonist and his view of the world around him, both of which are heavy influences on his actions.
	The protagonist’s actions can all be summed up by one key emotion: pride. From the time he and his little brother, Doodle, first go out together, to their final, fateful excursion, the protagonist feels resentment towards Doodle. He had wanted a brother whom he could teach all of his worldly skills, like “…holding my breath, running, jumping, or climbing the vines in Old Woman Swamp…” He wanted a brother who could fill the role of “…someone to race to Horsehead Landing…and someone to perch with in the top fork of the great pine behind the barn…” Obviously these things are impossible, given Doodle’s condition. Doodle was born with an extremely weak heart, making in unlikely he would even survive. Even then, it was nearly impossible that he would ever participate in vigorous physical activity. What a blow to the young protagonist, his head filled with wild fantasies, to have all of those dreams crushed in an instant. In fact, he is even shown to bear some anger towards the small child, as he recalls beginning to contemplate killing him by suffocating him with a pillow. What kind of child would have the presence of mind to consider infanticide? However, his heart melts when the small child smiles at him. Such a simple act gave the protagonist such hope! This shows that his conviction probably was not very strong. In the back of his mind, he had an instinctive love for his brother. 