"The Scarlet Ibis," by James Hurst, is a short story originally published in 1960, in The Atlantic Monthly. It won the 1960 "Atlantic First" award. In this story, the narrator, identified as "Brother," tells the intertwined stories of the appearance of a rare scarlet ibis in his family's garden and the death of his younger brother, nicknamed "Doodle." Against the backdrop of World War I, the story of the brothers explores questions about pride, brotherhood, compassion, and appreciation for individual differences.
