All sibling relationships should be full of years of enthusiasm, amusement, and love. Unfortunately, sometimes an elder brother can be cruel to the younger one. This can happen because the younger brother or sister does not turn out to be what the older sibling had hoped for, especially if the younger one is disabled. People with disabilities require special treatment, and therefore are not treated as normal people. An older brother actually can act cruelly towards his younger sibling out of shame of having an abnormal brother. The story, "The Scarlet Ibis," written by James Hurst, shows this situation in great detail. For example, Brother's pride is the reason for his cruelty to the younger brother, Doodle, who in turn, tolerates this because he longs for his brother's acceptance.

There are many instances in the story where Brother's pride and desire for a normal brother cause him to...