WorksheetsThe Scarlet Ibis Review
Total questions: 45
Worksheet time: 56mins
What does the scarlet ibis symbolize?
Doodle
The narrator
Aunty Nicey
Hope
How does the author emphasize the beauty of the setting?
Alliteration - "We were down in Old Woman Swamp and it was spring and the sick-sweet smell of bay flowers hung everywhere like a mournful song."
Simile-"Keeping a nice secret is very hard to do, like holding your breath."
Hyperbole- "We danced together quite well until she came down on my big toe with her brogans, hurting me so badly, I thought I was crippled for life."
Oxymoron- "I did not know then that pride is a wonderful, terrible thing"
When Doodle is born, the brother's reaction to his new sibling is that of
terror and fear.
joy and excitement.
worry and anxiety.
disappointment and sorrow.
What is the narrator's main motivation for his desire to help Doodle walk?
insecurity.
pride.
safety.
family.
The way the reader feels while reading the story is called...
Tone
Mood
Irony
Foreshadowing
What does the color RED symbolize?
Roses; birds; Doodle
The ibis; warning/danger & love
Anger; caul; mahogany coffin
Friendship; Doodle; love
What does THE HURRICANE symbolize?
Swamp; drowning; perseverance
Violence; death; impending doom
The ibis; Doodle; Brother's love
Determination; high expectations
What do the BLACK CLOUDS symbolize?
Fear and emptiness
Violence; decay; suffering
Impending death, doom, and darkness
A passing storm
Which is an accurate setting of the story?
1920, during the Roaring Golden era in the North
1999, during the technological boom in the South
1918, during WWI in the South
1819, in the North
Who is telling the story?
Doodle's older brother in 1st person Point Of View
Doodle's dad in 1st person POV
Doodle's mom in 3rd person Limited POV
An outside 3rd person omniscient narrator
What mood is established in the beginning of the story with the words "rotting", "graveyard", "stained", "empty" and "summer was dead" ?
violent
somber
mysterious
curious
Define "burden"
He was a burden in many ways.
something helpful
where a bird lives
a weight, or pressure
being free or liberated
Define "serene"
Of course, I was old enough to know this wouldn’t work out, but the picture he painted was so beautiful and serene that all I could do was whisper Yes, yes.
cute, pretty
calm; not agitated
bright, illuminated
colorful, flashy
Define "Infallible"
Once I had succeeded in teaching Doodle to walk, I began to believe in my own infallibility
strength, power
super powers
can not fail; incapable of error
patience, teaching ability
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."
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.
