This question is missing the answer choices. I was able to find them online. They are the following:
What symbol is described in this excerpt, and what does it represent?
A. the owls, which symbolize knowledge and wisdom.
B. the nest, which symbolizes home and family.
C. the rats, which symbolize cruelty and sadness.
D. the casket, which symbolizes the loss of Doodle.
Answer:
The symbol and its representation is:
D. the casket, which symbolizes the loss of Doodle.
Explanation:
James Hurst was an American novelist born in North Carolina in 1922. He published the short story "The Scarlet Ibis" in 1960.
<u>Doodle is just a little boy but he has an incredibly sad story. He was born with serious health problems, so no one ever thought he would live long. In the passage we are analyzing here, the narrator, who is Doodle's older brother, is showing Doodle his casket. A casket is an obvious representation of death, and quite a strong predictor of what is to come later in the story. Doodle does not accept the casket as his, but it seems that he hasn't got much of a choice. Everyone already expects him to die.</u>
