The narrator in this story gives hope to his 6-years-younger brother, Doodle. Doodle's parents and doctor believe he will be an invalid for the few short years he would be alive. His brother, though, refuses this notion. He sets a goal of teaching Doodle to walk. Doodle would get discouraged when his attempts would fail, but one way his brother motivated him was by painting a picture of them as bearded old men with the...
The narrator in this story gives hope to his 6-years-younger brother, Doodle. Doodle's parents and doctor believe he will be an invalid for the few short years he would be alive. His brother, though, refuses this notion. He sets a goal of teaching Doodle to walk. Doodle would get discouraged when his attempts would fail, but one way his brother motivated him was by painting a picture of them as bearded old men with the narrator still pulling Doodle in the go-cart. The narrator said it "never failed to make him try again." By talking of a future far down the road, the narrator gave Doodle hope that he would live a long life, defying the predictions of the doctor. The narrator was the only person who believed there was a future for Doodle; this belief empowered Doodle to strengthen and push himself.
The day that Doodle takes his first steps is a confirmation that he has more strength--both physical and mental--than even he thought. The narrator said, "Hope no longer hid in the dark palmetto thicket but perched like a cardinal in the lacy toothbrush tree." The narrator pushed Doodle to do what others thought he couldn't accomplish. He revealed the hope of a bright future to Doodle. Without his brother's efforts, Doodle may have died much earlier without ever having experienced swimming, boating, and exploring Old Woman Swamp. His brother is not responsible for his death; he is, in fact, the one that brought him life.
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