From Straw To Substance: The Poetic Resonance Of Scarecrow’s Metamorphosis In Feathertop: A Moralized Legend

Abstract

The current study investigates the idea of symbolic metamorphosis of the character Scarecrow into Feathertop in Nathaniel Hawthorne’s (1852) short story Feathertop: A Moralized Legend. Through this radical transformation, the study focuses on the moral integrity and poetic resonance portrayed in the text. The present research paper is theoretically structured by theories of George H. Mead (1934), Jean-Paul Sartre (1956), John Rawl (1971), and Ian Watt (1956). The research method used for data analysis is a close reading technique to reveal the metaphorical layers of the text under study. The analysis reveals that the transformation of certain natural components into a scarecrow and then into a human being mirrors the constant change in external appearances, while the internal or real form remains constant. The realization of original identity behind the exterior appearance shows the existential struggle of Feathertop. Additionally, the Feathertop is a human creation that develops an ethical issue of violating or manipulating the natural rules; as a result, nature reacts against its existence and transforms it back into its original form. The study concludes that one must develop a constant sense of self-awareness and originality that is not dependent on any external appearances because they are always temporary.