Cowardice
The theme of cowardice goes hand in hand with the concepts of masculinity and military life. Considering that the novel was written at the turn of the 20th century, it deals thoroughly with the idea and ideals of being a man. The novel voices thus the idea that the worst and least manly behavior, at the time, was to be unwilling to defend one's country because of cowardice. Such behavior not only undermines a man's character, but also affects his romantic relationships. The romance between the protagonist and his fiancé, for instance, was destroyed when the latter had suspected him of cowardice which indicates how masculine ideals acted upon feminine expectations between partners back then.
Self-sacrifice and Goodness
Self-denial is coupled with goodness in the book. It is the trait of characters who consider the outcome of their actions before committing to them. One such character is Ethne who becomes engaged to Colonel Durrance just because she sees in that union one of the last joys to be offered to a man who has lost his eyesight. Colonel Durrance himself is another such example. At the beginning of the story, he keeps his feelings for Ethne secret because he knows that his friend Harry is in love with her. Later on, he breaks his engagement with her to let her marry Feversham, for he knows that the latter is the only man who can make her happy. Thus, he sacrifices his own happiness for other people. In this manner, the theme of self-sacrifice is explored and developed through the lens of goodness, with a gradually widening scope suggesting that sacrifices made for the greater good make people accept a life less happier by pondering the positive outcomes of their actions.
Fear
The story explores the theme of fear by putting Harry under the lens and studying his acts and thoughts. Being different from his peers, and not conforming to the norms of his society, Harry has always lived under the sinister shadow of fearing he was truly a coward. He was obsessed with the idea that once under pressure, he would really succumb and be a coward. This is very symbolic and indicative of the pressure made by societal and conventional norms.
Redemption, Repentance, and Forgiveness:
Repentance is a prominent theme in the novel. The author provides us with a set of characters who make mistakes and commit errors that are sometimes grave. Each of these characters, however, recognizes his or her mistakes and act accordingly by humbling themselves into penance. Forgiveness, thus sought, is offered every time in a noble example of harmonious relationships. In the end, all the various threads of the storyline are united thematically to become a tale of redemption. Harry sets out to redeem his act of cowardice through acts of heroism, and saves the lives of the three fellow soldiers who sent him the white feathers as symbols of his cowardice. Through these actions, his redemption becomes complete by proving himself worthy to his fiancé, and thus the four feathers are transformed into symbols of bravery.
Patriarchy and Rigidity
Very often, Patriarchy is mistaken as the principle source of oppression for women alone. The Four Feathers demonstrates that the rigidity of a patriarchal society can also be the cause of wretchedness to men as well; namely men who do not conform to the societal norms. Harry Feversham is one such example. In the early chapters of the novel, he is introduced as a boy who had inherited the faculty of imagination from his mother. In other words, he is a man who fails to meet society’s ideals of masculinity. In such a narrow-minded and rigid society, his difference was not tolerated, and he was accordingly accused of cowardice when he chose to leave the ranks of military forces just because adherence to the latter, at the time, was the peak of masculinity.
Prejudice
A great portion of the harm done in the book, if not all of it, is caused by the vice of prejudice. The rumors about Harry’s cowardice, for example, were initiated by an instance of prejudice when his fellow officers pronounced him a coward without taking a moment to think of the motives behind his decision. Ethne too has wronged him similarly when she acted upon an impression rather than a conviction. She called off their marriage on the basis of unjust and injurious grounds.
Reputation
Reputation plays a crucial role in the book. Ever since the beginning when Harry was only a boy listening to the stories of officers during his father’s Crimean nights, the importance of public image made itself felt through the story of Lord Wilmington, who having secured the reputation of a coward, decided to put an end to his own life. This example puts the reader on a level with the norms of late 19th century Britain. Harry was spurned by his father, deserted by his lover, and rejected by most his friends just because his reputation was tinged with the shadow of cowardice. Therefore, reputation is openly placed before integrity in a society that placed public image over everything else.
Imperialism
The novel revolves around imperialism. The British Empire is at the center of the plot with all its glorious battles, admirable military forces, but also bitter injustice. The empire in the novel is the pride of so many characters, and the passion of others. Among such individuals, we might mention General Feversham who lives on the memory of his own glorious days as an active officer. Durrance is another example. He is a man who loves nothing more than the freedom of nights spent in the open air under the sky of the Egyptian desert. Harry, on the other hand, is the example of a character who had suffered bitterly because of the Empire.
