James Hurst's "The Scarlet Ibis" demonstrates so powerfully that even where
             there is unconditional love, there is also that little bit of malice, hidden, but
             bound to show itself. In this story, it is obvious that the narrator truly loves his
             brother Doodle for "(the narrator drags) him across the burning cotton field to
             share with him the only beauty (the narrator) knew, Old Woman Swamp" (103).
             Together, the two boys create a dynamic duo: the elder constantly making new
             plans and games, the younger always following along. The love between them is
             so strong and so tangible. The narrator does so much for Doodle, teaching him
             activities that come naturally to normal children, taking him to Old Woman
             Swamp and just about everywhere else, but most importantly of all, the narrator
             instills in Doodle a sense of self-confidence and pride. Doodle, though, may have
             done even more for the narrator in a subconscious way. By the suffering Doodle
             has to go through, the narrator learns the value of hard work, the consequences
             of pride, and the true meaning of blind love. All people have the ability to love,
             but they also have the capability to hate. Even with the unbreakable bond the
             two brothers share, the narrator realizes that "there is within (him) (and with
             sadness (he) has watched it in others) a knot of cruelty borne by the stream of
             love, much as our blood sometimes bears the seed of our destruction" (103).
             The narrator is mean to Doodle sometimes, making Doodle touch his own coffin,
             flipping him over in his go-cart, pushing him beyond his physical limit, and
             ultimately, causing Doodle's untimely death. Where does this malevolence
             come from? How can the narrator be so cruel to one he loves? The answer is
             a combination of aspects. Pride, a huge culprit, motivates the narrator to teach
             Doodle to walk in the first place, f...