It seemed so hopeless from the beginning that it’s a miracle
The dissatisfied feeling of doodle’s brother ended when the activities set up by him brought Doodle into death. Doodle’s brother
supposed to be realistic to see Doodle’s physical condition. It supposed to sufficient to see Doodle was able to walk as a progress. However,
Doodle’s brother wanted more. He wanted his crippled brother to be able to do activities that are usually done by other normal boys. The
dissatisfaction didn’t bring any advantages. Even more, it makes his lost everything by the death of his brother.
In both short stories, high ambition bring little grateful of the small result and lead to get the risk of loosing everything because of
the dissatisfaction of Paul’s mother in The Rocking Horse Winner and of Doodle’s brother in The Scarlet Ibis. Both characters in each story
lost person they love. Their high ambition brings death to them. In both stories the writer sees the sub themes similarity that is
something that is gained with voraciously even will end disaster. In both stories, it was described that Paul’s mother in The Rocking Horse
Winner and Doodle’s brother in The Scarlet Ibis pursued their desire voraciously until they even lose their member of family.
3. Mistreating Children
Mistreating children is shown in both stories. In “The Rocking Horse Winner”, the older person who treated her children in a
wrong way is Paul’s mother. She explained Paul about luck and money badly. She also makes Paul penetrate the fact that money is
luck. The father lacks of luck so the family lack of money. It means that they lack of luck. As quotation below:
“And aren’t you lucky either, mother? “I can’t be, if I married an unlucky husband,”
“But yourself, aren’t you?” “I used to think I was, before I married. Now I think I am very
unlucky indeed.” “Why?”
“Well- never mind Perhaps I’m not really” she said.
She even doubted Paul to have luck. Paul dislikes it and pursues luck to prove to his mother that he is lucky.
“Well, anyhow,” he said stoutly,” I’m a lucky person.” “why?” said his mother, with a sudden laugh
He stared at her. He didn’t even know why he had said it. “God told me,” He asserted, blazening it out.
“I hope He did, Dear” , She said, again with a laugh, but rather bitter.
“He did, Mother” “Excellent” said the mother.
The boy saw she did not believe him; or rather, that she paid no attention to his assertion. This angered him somewhat,
and made him want to compel her attention. The first knowledge for kids is what they get from their
parents. Mother in The Rocking Horse Winner explained his son about luck and money unwisely. It makes Paul has a wrong point of
view about money and luck. He penetrated his mother’s words that someone who can earn much money is someone who is lucky.
Paul thought that he can prove this mother that he is lucky and make her proud.
The older person who is expected to behave more sensibly in the story “The Scarlet Ibis” is Doodle’s brother, because he
supposed to except his crippled bother as the way he is. However, Doodle’s brother in the name of pride set a rude practice for Doodle
in order to make him just like other normal kids, to be able to walk, to swim and to do more activities.
Once, Doodle’s brother had urged Doodle to touch his mahogany box Doodle has been predicted to have short life, until
his parents had prepared him a coffin. Doodle was terrified and did not want to do that. But, Doodle’s brother threads to leave him
alone near the coffin. Doodle studied the mahogany box for along time, then said,
“It’s not mine.” “It is,” I said. “And before I’ll help you down from the loft,
you’re going to have to touch it.” “I won’t touch it,” he said sullenly.
“Then I’ll leave you here by yourself,” I threatened, and made as if I were going down,. Doodle was frightened, of
being left. “Don’t go leave me. Brother, he cried, and he leaned toward the coffin. His hand,
trembling, reached out, and when he touched the casket, he screamed. A screech owl flapped out the box into our faces,
scaring us and covering us with Paris green. Doodle was paralyzed, so I put him on my shoulder and carried him
down the ladder, and even we were outside in the bright sunshine, he clung to me, crying, “Don’t leave me. Don’t
leave me.” The quotation above proved that Doodle’s brother as the
older person could not behave more sensibly. Even more, he insisted his brother to do cruel things which is to touch the coffin
that actually was made for him. For a crippled boy like Doodle, of
course, it was terrifying. Doodle should not have to be treated that way by his elder brother.
The more quotation proves the unexpected attitude of Doodle’s brother is when he taught Doodle to swim. He ignored the
inability of Doodle to cope with the cold in the pool and keep on urging Doodle to learn to swim by saying,
“Aw, come on Doodle,” I urged. “You can do it. Do you want to be different from everybody else when you start school?
“Does it make any difference?” “It certainly does, “ I said. “Now, come on,” and I helped him
up.
The question of Doodle’s brother above actually is from his heart. He felt embarrassed to have crippled brother. He wanted
Doodle to try harder to learn to swim to be just like other normal boys. As the older person, he is not expected so, since it made
Doodle depressed and lost his confident. His brother supposed to support him to do activities that helped him to adapt with other
normal boys well. The way he treated Doodle and trained Doodle, had proven
that he did love Doodle but was ashamed of him at the same time. Pride has blinded Doodle’s brother to see that Doodle’s life is more
precious than proving to others that he could train his brother to be just like other normal boys.
In both stories, Paul’s mother and Doodle’s brother have badly treated them as little boys. Both characters are the older
person in the family relationship. However they did not treat kids like Paul and Doodle wisely. They just care about what they
wanted.
4. Too Much Pride Can Kill.
