Unlike Brother, the rest of the family accepts Doodle for who he is. However, this acceptance is mixed with a sense of resignation and a lack of optimism for Doodle's future. Mama and Daddy are so convinced of his impending death that Daddy even orders a coffin. When Doodle survives, Daddy constructs a go-cart, accepting the belief that Doodle will never walk. The placement of the coffin and go-cart in the loft symbolizes Doodle's progress in trying to imitate his older brother.

Brother's frustration with Doodle's limitations is as uncertain as the rest of the family's acceptance of them. However, Brother's attitude is more hazardous because it forces changes on a body that cannot endure them and on a mind that does not desire them. Brother's success in shaping Doodle to resemble himself is celebrated by everyone except Doodle. When Brother insists that Doodle must learn to walk, Doodle questions, "'Why?'" Similarly, Doodle does not grasp why he should strive to avoid being different from his classmates at school. Since the story is told from Brother's point of view and not Doodle's, it remains unclear how much Doodle's life improves due to his new abilities. Nonetheless, it is evident that after the initial success of the walking project, Brother's continued efforts to push Doodle further damage Doodle's health and ultimately lead to his death.

Brother repeatedly states that his efforts with Doodle are motivated by pride; he feels embarrassed by having a disabled brother. This theme mirrors the backdrop of World War I (1914–18), and many readers see an implicit critique of the war in Doodle and Brother's story. In the summer of 1918, when "The Scarlet Ibis" is set, a large number of American troops were deployed to fight in Europe. Anti-war movements, which were gaining strength in the 1960s when the story was written, argue that wars against other nations inherently involve attempts to reshape those nations in the image of the aggressor. These movements suggest that such attempts are rooted in pride and arrogance: the aggressor nation believes it is superior to the victim nation and has the right to transform it. This is often as destructive and pointless in the long run as Brother's attempts to change Doodle. Contrary to the claim that World War I was the "war to end all wars," it was soon followed by World War II (1939–45). Although leaders at the time argued that war was the only option, many modern scholars contest this view. Hurst does not shy away from emphasizing that the primary legacy of the war in the United States was the loss of many lives, a point he underscores with references to American war graves and casualties.