The Scarlet Ibis
The Scarlet Ibis is a short story written by James Hurst in 1960. It tells the tale of two brothers, Doodle and his older brother, who live on a small farm in rural North Carolina. Doodle has been born with physical disabilities that make it difficult for him to keep up with his brother's activities. Despite this handicap, the older brother decides to teach Doodle how to walk and run so he can be more like other children. Through hard work and determination, they eventually succeed, but at a heavy cost, as tragedy strikes when their efforts prove too much for poor little Doodle's fragile body.
The story serves as an allegory about overcoming adversity through dedication and perseverance while exploring themes such as family relationships, mortality, guilt, shame, and regret, among others. Its universal appeal is further enhanced by its use of symbolism, most notably through the scarlet ibis, which appears throughout the narrative, symbolically warning both boys against pushing themselves beyond their limits—something that ultimately leads to tragic consequences for one of them despite all their best intentions being noble ones from start to finish.