It is clear from the very beginning of the story that the
death of Doodle is long foreshadowed in the story. Although the story begins with the
remembrance of the scarlet ibis visiting the family, there are clear elements of
foreshadowing, with reference to summer being "dead" and "rotting brown magnolia petals"
and the tree where the ibis landed is described as "bleeding". This choice of diction
serves to create a dying image even before we are introduced to
Doodle.
From birth, the author shows that Doodle was
expected to die an early death:
He seemed all head, with a tiny body which was
red and shrivelled like an old
man's.
It is because of this
that Daddy, Doodle's father, asks the carpenter to build a "little mahogany coffin" for
Doodle. Although he doesn't die, this coffin is something that the narrator uses later
to taunt Doodle with, and the fact that the narrator says about the name they choose to
give him, William Armstrong, that "Such a name sounds good only on a tombstone" clearly
continues the foreshadowing of Doodle's early demise.
Hope
this helps! You might like to continue to analyse the story to discover other elements
that build this overwhelming image of death and suffering.
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