1. The Scarlet Ibis
By: James Hurst

2. What is an Ibis? South American wading bird
In the same family as the stork and heron
Gets its color from what it eats; shrimp
Baby ibises have a dull color compared to their parents

5. James Hurst Grew up in North Carolina on a farm
Setting of the story much like Hurst’s childhood
Wanted to go into a music career after serving in the Army during World War I
Attended Juilliard, hoping to become
an opera singer

6. The story “The Scarlet Ibis” was first published in
The Atlantic Monthly in July 1960
The story quickly became a classic and
has been seen in almost every high-school literature textbook since the 1960s
Hurst states that the three major characters of this story are Doodle, the narrator, and the setting
When asked what this story is about, he stated, “that it comments on the tenacity and the splendor of the human spirit” (pg 607).

7. Setting
During World War I
On a Southern cotton farm

8. Theme Central idea or message in a work of fiction
Often insight into life or human nature
Is a statement made by the story
“Love” is not a theme
“Love is blind” would be a theme
Pay attention to the main character because the theme often centers around he/she