1. Short Story Author: James Hurst
“The Scarlet Ibis”
Short Story
Author: James Hurst

2. Characters Narrator Doodle (William Armstrong)
Telling the story about his brother
Pushes his brother too hard to be “normal”
Mean to Doodle (his brother)
Doodle (William Armstrong)
The narrator’s younger brother
Not expected to live
Physically disabled and therefore a disappointment to his older brother
Had courage and determination

3. Setting A cotton farm in coastal North Carolina
World War I era (early 1900s)
Theme: disappointment, pushing the limits, determination, pride

4. Plot Introduction: Rising Action: Changing of the season
William Armstrong (Doodle) is born
Narrator takes Doodle to Old Woman Swamp
Narrator shows Doodle his coffin

5. Narrator makes Doodle learn how to walk because:
He is tired of hauling Doodle around
He is embarrassed that his 5-year-old brother cannot walk
He wants to be proud that he taught him how to walk

6. Narrator develops a goal to have Doodle run, swim, climb trees, and fight within a year (When Doodle begins school)
Scarlet Ibis arrives only to fall out of tree and die
Doodle is very effected by the bird’s death and buries it

7. The boys go to Horsehead Landing
They hurry home to beat the storm
Doodle cannot keep up
Narrator is angry because he was not able to reach his goal and runs ahead of Doodle
Narrator goes back to get Doodle

8. Climax: Falling Action: Denouement: Narrator finds Doodle dead
Narrator compares Doodle to the Ibis
The narrator stays with Doodle as the rain pours down
Denouement:
Doodle is dead