Sometimes we overlook the sly glances we give people in the hallways. Sometimes we will walk the opposite way from them. We might even whisper under our breath, all because they are different. They might learn differently or speak differently, but are they that peculiar? All these little things we do to isolate the “different” can damage a person's self-esteem, body image and confidence. In “The Scarlet Ibis,” James Hurst uses the symbol of the fallen bird to reveal the crippling feeling of not living up to the expectations of modern society. Hurst silently comments on these harmful acts by creating a character born with a disability, Doodle. Doodle's older brother can't stand not being able to do the things other kids can do, so his mission is to change Doodle. What he doesn't realize at first are Doodle's limitations and how much change he can handle until he falls. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay Throughout the story, the image of the fallen scarlet ibis symbolizes Doodle's struggle with his brother's inability to accept Doodle for himself. When the reader first sees the corpse of the scarlet ibis, the narrator observes that “even death did not mar its grace, for it lay on the earth like a broken vase of red flowers.” Even though the bird has this exotic beauty within it, the "broken vase" symbolizes how fragile Doodle was because it represents how careless his brother was to him. Highlighting Doodle's fragility, Hurst comments on how damaging other people's judgment of someone different in their eyes can be. At the end of the story, the brother sees the scarlet ibis in Doodle's corpse: "I lay there crying, protecting my fallen scarlet ibis." Just like the beautiful ibis, Doodle is unable to survive in a harsh world. Her delicate body is pushed far beyond its limits by her older brother. Doodle tries to hold on to anything he can but, like the bird, he eventually falls. The brother was too blinded by the rain of selfish pride to look past his selfish needs and turn back for Doodle. Through the symbol of Doodle's death, Hurst highlights the reckless view that society has towards unique or special people. To conclude, we shouldn't push anyone to their limits by devaluing them because they are unique. As a growing community, we need to know when to stop the criticism, the hatred, the torture. Put yourself in their shoes, imagine what it would be like to walk around and be judged harshly for something you can't even control. We must look beyond these arbitrary differences and accept these people as friends. We must adopt them into this cruel world and catch them before they fall.