Question

at that moment the bird began to flutter, but the wings were uncoordinated, and amid much flapping and a spray of flying feathers, it tumbled down, bumping through the limbs of the bleeding tree and landing at our feet with a thud. its long, graceful neck jerked twice into an s, then straightened out, and the bird was still. a white veil came over the eyes and the long white beak unhinged. its legs were crossed and its claw - like feet were delicately curved at rest. even death did not mar its grace, for it lay on the earth like a broken vase of red flowers, and we stood around it, awed by its exotic beauty. - the scarlet ibis, james hurst. use the passage to think about the storys central symbol. what symbol does this passage describe? what is the literal meaning of this symbol? a flower death a bird a plant

Explanation:

The passage describes a bird's death. The literal meaning of the symbol in the text is a bird. The bird is a central symbol in the story "The Scarlet Ibis".

Answer:

What symbol does this passage describe? A bird
What is the literal meaning of this symbol? A bird