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Symbols are objects, characters, figures, or colors used to represent abstract ideas or concepts.

The Scarlet Ibis

The scarlet ibis is the story’s main symbolic image and represents Doodle’s unique and fragile position in the world. Its death in front of the family foreshadows Doodle’s death and symbolizes the fragility of life in nature. When Doodle dies, he resembles the dead scarlet ibis, with his neck extended and the red blood covering his front. The scarlet ibis is a bird not native to North Carolina, where the story takes place, and in comparison stands for how out of place Doodle really is in a world that prioritizes and accommodates able-bodied people.

Old Woman Swamp

The swamp where the boys spend long summer afternoons symbolizes hope. Where death tracks Doodle at every turn, the swamp is a living paradise that moves the child to tears. Doodle loves playing in the swamp with his older brother, and Brother himself calls the swamp the “only beauty [he] ever knew.” The swamp is where the brothers dream of their futures. It is where they are happy. The swamp is also the place where Doodle learns to walk, thereby confirming his potential in Brother’s eyes. Old Woman Swamp therefore represents many things—hope, the future, and possibility, all of which come crashing down when the storm hits.

Doodle’s Coffin

The tiny coffin is a symbol of the family’s expectations that Doodle would die in infancy; it continues to exist, stashed away in the barn loft, as a haunting reminder of the fragility of Doodle’s life. The father has the coffin commissioned as soon as Doodle born, since the doctor predicts he won’t live long. That Doodle can no longer fit in the coffin when he encounters it with Brother suggests he’s lived beyond his family’s expectations, but can’t escape the prospect of death altogether.

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