The shift characterization of John Morgan in Dorothy M. Johnson’s A Man Called Horse

This research examines the transformation of John Morgan's characterization in the short story A Man Called Horse by Dorothy M. Johnson through analyzing his shift from an aristocrat who was constituted by inherited privileges to a man whose identity is shaped through his lived experiences in social environment. The short story displays the cultural and psychological shifts of a man who is forced to redefine his existence in an unfamiliar society. Therefore, this study proposes two research problems to be solved, which are: (1) How was John Morgan’s initial characterization in the story A Man Called Horse? (2) How did John Morgan shift his characterization after he meets the Crow Indians in the story A Man Called Horse? This study uses a qualitative descriptive method that aims to describe the changes in the main character through textual evidence. The analysis was conducted using a close reading approach, focusing on textual approach, portrayal of the character, and the transformation of the character. The primary theory used is Edmund Husserl's phenomenology, specifically focusing on the concepts of intentionality and bracketing, while New Criticism serves as a supporting theory to analyze the text's internal integrity and structure. The results of this research reveal that the shift of John Morgan from characterized as an aristocrat whose identity was constituted by inherited privileges, social status, and unquestioned entitlements rather than personal experience or individual achievement which culminates in his naïve, detached, and vulnerable. Then, he made a journey that was triggered by dissatisfaction with his inherited privilege and a desire for equality. His experience as a captive of the Crow Indians which forcibly removed him from his status of social privilege, stripped him of his former identity and required him to be involved in the social environment with new and unfamiliar experience. As a captive, he was stripped of autonomy and power. Initially humiliated but later became a space for observation and personal development. Over time, John Morgan's character evolved into a man who earned his value with resilience and cultural adaptation. His current characterization shows emotional composure, suggesting that identity can be reconstituted through the process of experience, rather than through inherited status.