Imagery and Symbolism in "The Scarlet Ibis" — Quiz
Question 9 • English Language Arts 9
Read the excerpt from “The Scarlet Ibis.” But Mama, crying, told me that even if William Armstrong lived, he would never do these things with me. He might not, she sobbed, even be “all there.” He might, as long as he lived, lie on the rubber sheet in the center of the bed in the front bedroom where the white marquisette curtains billowed out in the afternoon sea breeze, rustling like palmetto fronds. What best describes the effect of the sensory imagery used in this excerpt?
Answer
A
It allows the reader to correctly predict that Doodle will never be able to walk.
B
It shows the reader to see that Doodle’s mom is incapable of feeling hope.
C
It helps the reader to better visualize the life that might lie ahead for Doodle.
D
It introduces the reader to the setting that exists throughout most of the story.
Explanation
The excerpt uses visual and sound details, such as the curtains billowing and rustling like palmetto fronds, to help readers imagine the scene. Those details make the possible future Mama fears—Doodle lying in bed for the rest of his life—more vivid. So the sensory imagery helps readers visualize the life that might lie ahead for Doodle; it does not prove that future will happen.
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