Megan K's blog

Everyone should read Scarlet Ibis because it shows how sometimes it takes the innocence of a child to really see the beauty life has to offer.  The narrator in this story doesn’t want to accept his brother, Doodle, for who he really is.  He is embarrassed by the fact that Doodle can’t do things that “normal” boys his age can.  He can’t seem to see that all Doodle wanted was his brother to love him.

This story has a great theme that teaches us to value life and the beauty it can bring.  In the story, Doodle doesn’t know that he is considered different, but he can see the wonder in all the little things in nature.  When the narrator takes him to Old Woman Swamp he looks at it in awe and starts crying.  The narrator then asks him why he’s crying and Doodle simply says “It’s so pretty, so pretty, pretty, pretty.”  At one point in the story, a hurricane hits, and a Scarlet Ibis get swept up from it all the way from the tropics.  When it dies, instead of ignoring it and going inside for desert, Doodle digs a grave for it and sings a hymn as he buries the dead bird.   

At the end of the story, when Doodle dies, I think the narrator learned that he should have never tried to change his innocent brother, but should have accepted him.  I know that I learned to cherish life a little more and to take time to see the beauty in nature.

A major symbol in Thank You M’am is the blue suede shoes.  In the story, the main character, Roger, tries to steal Mrs. Luella Bates Washington Jones’ purse to get money for the blue suede shoes.  Instead of calling the police, Mrs. Jones opens up her home to him by giving him something to eat.   

I think the author created this symbol because Mrs. Jones would have never impacted his life in such a positive way if he never wanted those blue suede shoes.  Mrs. Jones said how when she was younger she couldn’t have things that she wanted so she did things that she wouldn’t even tell God.  Even though she did bad things doesn’t mean she’s a bad person, and that’s what she sees in Roger. 

In the story, Ms Jones told him that “Shoes come by devilish like that will burn your feet.”  What she meant by this is there really isn’t anything good enough to have to steal to get them.  I think Roger learned that he never really needed the blue suede shoes.  Ms. Jones gave him what he really needed, and never really had, someone to care about him.