The Scarlet Ibis

In "The Scarlet Ibis," why does the narrator rename his brother Doodle?

• People expect too much of someone named William Armstrong.

• The little boy does not like to be called William Armstrong.

• The little boy crawls backward like a doodle-bug

• Doodle is an old family nickname.

Why is the narrator's brother three months old before he is named?

• His parents cannot agree on a name.

• It is traditional to wait three months before naming a baby.

• Everybody thinks the baby will die.

• The baby first has to be baptized.

What prompts the narrator to show Doodle the coffin?

• The narrator thinks that Doodle will find it amusing.

• He intends to shut Doodle up inside the coffin as a joke.

• He has a cruel streak that surfaces occasionally.

• He wants to impress on Doodle how surprised they all were that Doodle survived.

Once Doodle has learned to walk, what motivates the narrator to persist with Doodle's development program?

• His belief in his own infallibility

• His belief in Doodle's infallibility

• His sympathy for Doodle

• His defiance of his parents

Which passage from "The Scarlet Ibis" best illustrates a feeling of triumph?

• ". . . I put him on his feet at least a hundred times each afternoon."

• "And before I'll help you down from the loft, you're going to have to touch it."

• "Finally I could see I was licked. Doodle was my brother and he was going to cling to me forever."

• "There wasn't a sound as Doodle walked slowly across the room and sat down at his place at the table."

Who or what is the main symbol in "The Scarlet Ibis"?

• Doodle

• Death

• The Scarlet Ibis

• The seasons

Which line most clearly indicates what the scarlet Ibis symbolizes?

• "At that moment the bird began to flutter, but the wings were uncoordinated . . ."

• "Its long, graceful neck jerked twice into an S, then it straightened out, and the bird was still."

• "Even death did not mar its grace, for it lay on the earth like a broken vase of red flowers . . ."

• "For a long time, it seemed forever, I lay there crying, sheltering my fallen scarlet ibis from the heresy of rain."

In "The Scarlet Ibis," how does the weather contribute to the atmosphere, or mood?

• The weather creates a mood of confinement.

• The weather seems reliable and reassuring.

• The weather seems threatening and unpredictable.

• The weather creates a feeling of lightheartedness.

Which passage from "The Scarlet Ibis" conveys a feeling of optimism?

• "Hope no longer hid in the dark palmetto thicket but perched like a cardinal in the lacy toothbrush tree, brilliantly visible."

• "Then when the slanted rays of the sun burned orange in the tops of the pines, we'd drop our jewels into the stream and watch them float away toward the sea."

• "But sometimes (like right now), as I sit in the cool, green-draped parlor, the grindstone begins to turn, and time with all its changes is ground away . . ."

• ". . . The peacock spread his magnificent tail, enfolding the boy gently like a closing go-to-sleep flower, burying him in the gloriously iridescent, rustling vortex."

What is the main lesson of the relationship of the two brothers in "The Scarlet Ibis"?

• To appreciate a brother or sister for who they are.

• To teach someone how to do something.

• To tease a brother or sister.

• To be cruel when you get upset.