Washington Irving's “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” is a story beloved by many, and Ichabod Crane is a much debated character. Some believe he is simply a man who helped tell the story of the legendary Headless Horseman, while others see him as an antihero who represents human nature. This strange character is both, but one thing surpasses all others when analyzing such an extraordinary teacher. Ichabod Crane is a farce character who loosely mimics British rule over America and its ultimate demise. He is the embodiment of how Americans viewed the English after the Revolution with his noble character, insatiable appetite and severe cowardice. He may seem like the hero, but in reality he is simply a joke. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay Ichabod Crane is a strange name in itself, but Ichabod's appearance and personality help form the character that fits the name. He doesn't look like a normal hero; he looks hungry and downright ugly, a great example of a farce character. It is described as having a lanky body, a small head, and large ears and feet. Irving also states that “one might have mistaken him for…a scarecrow that had escaped from a cornfield” (758). When Ichabod rides the horse, Gunpowder, the narrator cannot help but mention the hilarity of seeing this scene. “…His sharp elbows stuck out like grasshoppers…the movement of his arms was not unlike the flapping of a pair of wings…” (767). As for Ichabod's personality, he is ridiculous and mocks what is real in his bravado and charm. He woos many women, charming them with his intelligence and professing talents such as singing and dancing, although he appears to be exaggerated in both. Irving says he is "a man of some consequence in women's circles...a kind of idle gentleman character, of far superior taste and achievement..." (760). However, his love for himself surpasses the favor women receive from him. When the narrator describes Ichabod's singing voice, he does not fail to include that "it was a matter of no small vanity to him...to take his stand before the church gallery...where, in his mind, he completely dragged the palm tree away from parish priest” (759). However, his singing is a "nasal tune" to the country folk, and after Ichabod leaves Sleepy Hollow, "peculiar quavers [can] still...be heard...which are said to legitimately descend from the nose of Ichabod Crane ". (760). As for his dancing, “not a limb, not a fiber around him was idle, and to have seen his body hanging limply in full motion, clattering around the room, you would have thought that St. Vitus himself, that blessed patron of the dance, appeared before you in person” (769). St. Vitus's dance is not beautiful, and the fact that Ichabod is compared to the saint shows that his dance was more fun than beautiful. Ichabod is not only a strange character, but he also has a strange appetite to match. He seems to want to devour the entire countryside, and this may be an allusion to the way the English dominated America before the Revolution. Ichabod begins by simply enjoying the delicious food offered to him by the country people he lives with. “…On holiday afternoons [he] accompanied home some of the younger ones, who had beautiful sisters, or good housewives for mothers, noted for the comforts of the closet” (759). Then his appetite begins to transform into a ravenous hint. “He was a huge eater and, although thin, had the dilating powers of an anaconda.” (759)...