The Scarlet Ibis The theme in the story "The Scarlet Ibis", written by James Hurst, is that too much pride can become destructive in one's life. In the story, the theme is demonstrated through the use of symbolism. The first symbol is the coffin, which is introduced to the reader at the beginning of the story when Doodle was born, as no one believed Doodle would live long. The coffin supports the theme of the story as the narrator, also Doodle's brothers, takes Doodle to see his coffin and makes him touch it by using emotional blackmail when he says "Then I'll leave you here by yourself, I threatened, and made as if I were going down", as Doodle was afraid to be left alone in the attic. The narrator made it clear that he had power over Doodle