The Scarlet Ibis

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The Scarlet Ibis is a short story written by novelist James Hurst. It was first published in The Atlantic Monthly in July 1960 and has since appeared in multiple high-school literature textbook since the late 1960s.

[edit] Synopsis

The narrator's younger brother, Doodle, was born an invalid boy who couldn't walk and did not learn to crawl until he became three. Time passes and Doodle becomes five. The narrator then decides to teach him how to walk out of embarrassment. After weeks of practicing, Doodle learns how to walk, and the family rejoices. After a while the narrator, feeling infallible, decides to teach Doodle to run, swim, climb trees and fight. His grueling work, shows little progress as the deadline he sets gets closer. Finally, after an encounter with a scarlet ibis dying, Doodle and the narrator set out to the swamp for one final attempt to yield results, which fails. As a storm approaches they start to make their way back. Angrily, the narrator begins to walk faster than Doodle. When Doodle falls behind, the narrator runs off leaving him. Soon he calms down and waits for Doodle, who doesn't show up. Walking back, he finds Doodle curled up next to a bush, dead with blood coming out of his mouth. Doodle's death is believed to be caused by his heart giving out while trying to catch up with the narrator, who is his older brother.