Sometimes we overlook the sneaky glances we give people in the hallways. Sometimes we will walk on the opposite side of them. We might even mutter under our breath, all because they are different. They may learn differently or speak differently, but are they that special? All those little things we do to isolate those who are “different” can hurt 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 damaging acts by creating a character born with a disability, Doodle. Doodle's older brother can't stand the fact that he can't do the things other kids can do, so he makes it his mission to change Doodle. What he doesn't realize at first are Doodle's limits and how much change he can accept until his downfall. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not 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 about him, the "broken vase" symbolizes how breakable Doodle was because it represents how carefree his brother was with him. By emphasizing Doodle's fragility, Hurst comments on how damaging the judgment of others can be to someone who is different in their eyes. At the end of the story, Brother sees the scarlet ibis in Doodle's corpse: "I lie there crying, sheltering my fallen scarlet ibis." Just like the beautiful ibis, Doodle is unable to survive in a hostile world. Her delicate body is pushed far beyond its limits by her big brother. Doodle tries to hold on to anything he can but like the bird, he ends up falling. Brother was too blinded by the rain of selfish pride to look past his selfish needs and come back for Doodle. Through the symbol of Doodle's death, Hurst notices society's careless view of unique or special people. To conclude, we should not 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, hatred, and torture. Put yourself in their shoes, imagine what it would be like to walk around and be judged harshly over something you can't even control. We must overcome these arbitrary differences and accept these people as friends. We must adopt them into this cruel world and catch them before they fall..