Jacob Barzideh Period 10 Essay on Keeper What does it mean to be a brother/sister's keeper? Often in life, people need support and someone to be their keeper. This topic of being a keeper is discussed in many texts. In Text #2, the cover of "My Sister's Keeper" by Jodi Picoult, the sister on the right is a keeper of the other sister, as she is supporting her. In Text #4, Of Mice and Men, by John Steinbeck, illustrates this concept through a close relationship between George and Lennie. In Text #5, "The Scarlet Ibis," by James Hurst, Brother can be seen as a keeper to Doodle as he teaches and cares for him. However, Brother is not the best keeper and fails to support Doodle. A keeper is one who supports and cares for their loved ones. Through examining Text 2, by Jodi Picoult, one …show more content…
However, Brother failed at being a keeper because he sometimes made Doodle feel scared and alone. On page 3, Brother helps Doodle explore nature by taking him to the Old Woman Swamp. Doodle was set down "in the soft rubber grass, beside a tall pine," then, Doodle stated, "It's so pretty.So pretty, pretty, pretty. (Text 5)" This evidence illustrates the joy in Doodle's voice in Old Woman Swamp, seen through his repetition of the word "pretty." Another example of this concept is when Brother taught Doodle how to stand up and walk. Furthermore, the narrator states, "There wasn't a sound as Doodle walked slowly across the room and sat down at his place at the table(Text 5)." One can imagine how walking would improve an individual's life and lead to more fulfillment. For example, because Brother taught Doodle to walk, he could become independent from Brother and attain freedom of movement. Despite Brother's benign actions to assist Doodle, there was a "streak of cruelty" within Brother, and that caused him to fall short of fulfilling his role as Doodle's
Doodle is not like other children, he can't go anywhere without Brother, because of his disability. One day Brother takes Doodle to Old Woman Swamp. While sitting on the field Doodles eyes began to round with wonder as his hands began to stroke the grass feeling the rubberiness in it. Then Doodle began to cry. "It's so pretty," he said "So pretty, pretty, pretty." While other kids would have
I ran as fast as I could, leaving him far behind a wall of rain, dividing us" (604). Then he came back and found Doodle, covered in blood, dead. He was in shock as if he didn't know something like that could happen. He knew that his younger brother had 'problems' that he was born with, and his mother would remind him not to tire Doodle out. Brother had plenty of warnings and yet he still did things to make Doodle tired and he still left him in the storm.
Brothers main struggle in the story is between Doodle being a disappointment to him, or his brother that he loves. Through the story he seesaws back and forth between cruel ways of “fixing” Doodle and loving him. This is best shown when the are in the swamp for the first time and Brother says “‘Shut up. I’m
During the summer Brother is portrayed as assiduous. In the story Brother says “Everyday that summer we went to the pine beside the stream of the Old Woman Swamp, and I put him on his feet at least a hundred times each afternoon” (Hurst 32). This shows that Brother was determined to help Doodle walk. Brother worked with Doodle to try and make him normal, so he could do daily activities with him. Brother pushed Doodle to work hard until he could finally stand by himself, and eventually walk without
Firstly, Brother's assertion that his pride drove him is supported by the text when he states, "pride, whose slave I was, spoke to me louder than all their voices." This indicates that Brother's desire to teach Doodle to walk is, in part, fueled by his
At the beginning of the story, the narrator is displeased about his handicapped brother, as the narrator feels let down by his healthy sibling misfortune. One obvious signal of this mentality is the quote provided early in the story, as the narrator mentions “I made plans to kill him… he was a burden in many ways” (1,2). Although that statement may seem slightly exaggerated to the reader, it still does provide the reader an idea about the feelings that the narrator is demonstrating toward Doodle. However, rather than the narrator remaining eternally perplexed about his brother’s health condition, the narrator eventually decides to help his brother with his quest, and once he accomplishes this task, he explicitly showcases his feelings proclaiming “I cried, and he cried too… the grass beneath us was soft and the smell of the swamp was sweet” (3). As it is clearly stated, the collectiveness between accomplishing the goal was shared amongst both of them, as the descriptiveness of the swamp and grass further indicates this positive nature.
He leaves Doodle in the rain to taunt him. He runs back when he sees that Doodle is no longer in sight, finding his dead body. Crouching over him, Brother tells the reader, “I began to weep… ‘Doodle!’ I screamed above the pounding storm and threw my body to the earth above his. For a long time, it seemed forever” (12). The storm is “pounding”, meaning it is powerful and hurtful. Brother shields Doodle from this, attempting to shield him from the death that has already occurred. Brother finally wants to protect his brother from harm. He regrets the hateful acts he forced upon Doodle. He says this moment feels like it is “forever.” He feels time move slowly because he is miserable, and his misery seems to never end. After being hateful, then guilty, he has become remorseful and regrets his
Brother spent a lot of time with Doodle. On page (349) it say’s, “Doodle and I spent lots of time thinking about our future. We decided that when we were grown, we’d live in Old Woman Swamp and pick dog’s-tongue.” On page (345-346) also shows that Brother spent lots of time with Doodle it say’s, “...So I dragged him across the burning cotton field to share with him the only beauty I knew, Old Woman Swamp.” After that Doodle was crying because that was the most beautiful thing he’s ever seen. Old Woman Swamp is Brother’s favorite place to be,
He happens to be jealous of the attention Doodle gets and remains embarrassed by Doodle's difference and also annoyed at the fact that he had to take Doodle everywhere with him. Barely tolerating the fact that Doodle was different from everyone else and strived to teach him "normal" things but not for Doodle's own good. "So I began to make plans to kill him by smothering him with a pillow", Brother says (417). This arises the source of deep shame for Brother. This shows Doodle's extreme vulnerability, while showing just how disturbed Brother is by the idea of Doodle's difference.
Doodle’s brother is one of the characters that illustrates the journey to obtain joy. The author uses imagery to show the brother’s joy as he states, “However, one afternoon as I watched him, my head poked between the iron posts of the foot of the bed, he looked straight at
Brother decides to help Doodle learn how to walk. He helps him be a “normal brother” by teaching him how to swim, walk, run, and etc. When Doodle dies, Brother shields his body from the rain. He cries when Doodle dies.
While Doodle walks to the dinner table on his own, Brother says: “They didn’t know that I just did it because I was ashamed of having a crippled brother” (Hurst). The quote shows how big brothers pride overcomes his love and acceptance of Doodle… How Brother felt humiliated of the disability Doodle was born, additionally, how he was a slave to his own pride. He didn’t want to be acknowledged as the boy with a disabled brother. Brother has been encouraged to help Doodle for his own selfish motives, but at the same time he also experienced guilt for doing
In the end of the story brother runs away from Doodle. The brother know that Doodle is terrified of being alone and that he would follow him. Of course Doodle did but it ends badly for him. When the brother goes back to find Doodle he finds him dead. All he had to do was not run away, then maybe Doodle would still be
I would like to start by saying that Doodle’s brother could say some hurtful things to Doodle that may discourage him. For example, “One day I took Doodle up to the barn loft, and showed him his casket, telling him how we all believed he would die.” (2) It was a poor choice for his brother to make and it caused Doodle to get scared and worried about whether or not his life has all been a lie. He did not know that his family thought
Lastly, Text #5 by James Hurst exhibits a relationship that is the antithesis of being a keeper through the relationship between two brothers. A keeper is one who offers stability and support to loved ones. Keepers can be people who make their family members feel relaxed and protected. Text #2 by Jodi Picoult illustrates two sisters