Sunday, March 22, 2020
The Scarlet Ibis Essay Example
The Scarlet Ibis Paper Who is Your Something? If you think back to your earliest memories, who do you recall being your main caregiver? Most people would remember a feminine figure, whether it be your mother, grandmother or another female relative. Commonly, females take responsibility over young children. In some cases though, a male in the family will take over this nurturing position, much like in The Scarlet Ibis by James Hurst, in which a young boy decides to help his disabled brother learn to walk. In the text, the reader discovers that males are able to take accessibility for a kid when a female chooses not to and leave the child the same as if a woman were to raise it. William Armstrong, more casually known as Doodle, was born very weak and was subsequently abandoned by his parents, especially his mother. After he was born, his aunt was convinced that he would live, however the first few years of his life were spent lying in a bed with minimal social interaction. Doodle ;s mother did not stimulate him and help him develop like she did with her other son because she had no hope for him. We will write a custom essay sample on The Scarlet Ibis specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on The Scarlet Ibis specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on The Scarlet Ibis specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer In her mind he was destined to live a life of solitude in a vegetative state. Only an impeccably well timed peek by his brother rescued Doodle from his prison. According to his brother, It seemed so hopeless that its a miracle I didnt give up. But all of us must have something to be proud of, and Doodle had become my something. Over the course of his time with Doodle, Brother filled a crucial hole. He not only took over the role of Mother, but he was also Doodle ;s first teacher and role model. With the constant, take Doodle with you, he plopped into a nurturing and encouraging force, all the while maintaining a healthy sibling rivalry. Some may say that because of the lack of a feminine figure Brother was forced to compensate and provide for his sibling. The true reason the mother neglected to provide for her son is not clear in the text. It could be that because he was sure to die young, she did not want to attach herself to him. In the beginning of the story when Doodle was very sick, he was constantly compared to other things such as a worn out doll and a half-empty flour sack. The family looked at him as though he was inanimate; therefore it would be much easier to let him go, as opposed to someone they had had an emotional connection with. The thought of losing a child was too much for Doodle s mother to bear, and consequently she subconsciously chose to treat him as if he were not a child at all, resulting in Brother having to repair the shattered pieces of Doodle s early life. Even though the brother took full responsibility for Doodle, he was not always selfless. We can infer that the mother was not completely involved in his bringing either, despite his lack of disability. By allowing him to go off on his own, his mother was avoiding spending time and making important memories with him. Through Doodle, the brother was attempting to earn some recognition. In his mind, he taught Doodle to walk and he should get credit for it. Going back to the line But all of us must have something to be proud of, and Doodle had become my something, opens a new door into the brother ;s way of thinking. He was hoping to become his mother ;s something by giving back the child she never truly got to have. The brother was the only one who had hope in Doodle, most likely because he didnt truly understand the circumstances of Doodle ; s birth. He wanted so desperately for his little brother to be like every other boy. He pushed himself and Doodle to succeed while his parents were distracted with trying to forget their second son. Think back to your earliest memory. Just because someone that took care of you was female, doesnt mean they acted as a feminine figure in your upbringing. Because the mother neglected to have hope in Doodle, Brother eve him a new lease on life and acted as his mother figure. No matter your gender We all have a need, whether we are aware of it or not, to care and nurture for young children. While Brother thought he took over because of personal pride, the reality was that his internal instincts were kicking in. We all feel like we must have a something. When all others have lost hope there will be another person to take over to ensure our species survival by raising the new generation. We all feel like we must have a something to care for.
Thursday, March 5, 2020
The eNotes Blog Get Your Butt Out of ThatRut!
Get Your Butt Out of ThatRut! How is it possible to be too comfortable? Honestly, I don’t think you can put a ceiling on something like comfort. Being the mathematical, rational genius that I am (got an A in pre-algebra, guys), I have spent countless hours deducing a mathematical equation for this. Where: x = number of snuggies in your possession             y = degree to which your house smells like  chocolate chip cookies                   (quantified by number of cookies in oven)             z = number of Full House reruns being played on Nickelodeon            🙂 = amount of sheer happiness 🙂 = x*y*z    (example: 🙂=5*24*6   🙂=720 which means you’re winning at everything                       everyone is jealous of you) Even though this seems completely logical, I gotta tell you†¦ I’m wrong. Because sometimes you can be too comfortable. And it has nothing to do with cookies or Stephanie Tanner’s witticisms (â€Å"†¦How rude†). It’s a strange thing. On the one hand, you have no energy or motivation to do the things you normally do. The very thought of it just makes you want to nap. On the other hand, you feel like you have millions of little energy particles literally trying to burst out of your skin but they have nowhere to go so they just kind of, you know, hang out and make you feel antsy (See Figure 1). Figure 1. You, my friend, are in a â€Å"rut.†Your daily routine bores you. You don’t really feel challenged or motivated. Your friends are great, but maybe that one little annoying thing your friend does has now transformed into the worst, most inexcusable thing in the world and the very sight of him/her makes you want to punch something. You go to the same places when you’re out at night. You’ve probably been eating the same thing for the past week or so because you don’t have the desire to brainstorm and peanut butter is just so versatile (put it on anything and everything). This overly comfortable feeling makes your own skin feel like the least comfortable thing possible. You definitely would like to jump out of it; honestly, no amount of snuggies can remedy this. In sum, your brain is asleep, but your soul wants to party. Friends, it’s time to rally. First things first, get up and dance it out. Put on some Michael Jackson and moonwalk out of that rut-hut. If you don’t like dancing, you can just wiggle a bit and flail your extremities around. Now we can start thinking about how to remedy this little problem. People often say that in these times, it’s helpful to step out of your comfort zone and do something new. And they say it because it’s true. There’s no reason to feel stuck- the only person making you feel stuck is yourself. There are SO many things you can do. Endless. Why limit yourself? Bet you didn’t even realize you were limiting yourself. But you were. So stop it. Seriously, stop it. There are so many things to be inspired and motivated by in this world, and they’re all around us. We lose sight of it incredibly easily, and I think that’s one of the main challenges we all face in life. Trying new things is a great way to get yourself excited about your life again, but it’s equally as important to try and see the world around you in new ways. Gaining new perspective will help you see all the reasons you have to feel lucky, blessed, appreciative, and pumped up about living the life you’re living, in the place you’re living it. I feel like I’m coming upon a rut in my own life. And I’ve decided I’m going to unleash a counter attack. A sneak attack. I’m a ninja. My goal for the next couple of months? I’m going to explore the city I live in. I’m going to live like a tourist. For me, my overly comfortable place has kept me from feeling the need to travel more than 10 minutes for anything. Sorry, friends who live more than 10 minutes away, it wasn’t you†¦ it was the rut. So, I’m about to challenge myself to see as much of this place as I can. I’m going to talk to strangers and eat foods I’ve never eaten at restaurants I’ve never been to. I’m going to pretend to analyze great works of art at beautiful museums and I’m going to hike up and fall down hills that remind me of the Sound of Music. Basically, I’m going to try tons of new things so I can maybe gain a new, fresh perspective about this place I’ve been sitting in for so long. Life should always be something that excites you. Don’t you forget that, either. Make it your mantra. Repeat it over and over again until it sticks. If it helps, you can imagine me saying it to you. I read somewhere that imagining something scary helps you remember things better, I think. So†¦ what will you do to wake yourself up? How will you challenge yourself? And if you’re still having trouble with this, just take a little creative advice from our old friend Harold and his best friend†¦the legendary purple crayon. He definitely knew what was up.
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