The Last of the Mohicans is one of five novels in the Leatherstocking Series, all of which

were written by James Fenimore Cooper. Cooper is known to be "one of the nineteenth century's

most popular story tellers" because he "presented a simpler, idealized view of America's

westward migration" (Charles 392). Cooper was a pioneer of American literature. Writing

during the early to mid 1800's, Cooper is said to have "originated the American historical novel

and the tale of frontier life" (Haney 70). The Last of the Mohicans is categorized as a historical

romance because it incorporates the elements of a romance into the context of a historical event.

Throughout the novel Cooper explores such broad subjects as heredity and how it affects the

relationships between the characters. Also discussed in the novel are the interracial relationships

between Indians and whites and how these relationships have caused many of the characters to

loose a place in their culture and even brought entire races, such as the Mohican tribe, to

extinction. Binary Oppositions, such as pure blood versus mixed blood, noble Indian versus

savage Indian, and forest versus civilization are also apparent throughout t

while her sister, who is of pure Anglo-Saxon decent, captivates the attention of white men

are shown to be patient, keen of the senses, and unscathed by danger and suffering. The Indians

through the dense forest. On the path of the short-cut, the group encounters Hawkeye,

the United States had defeated the British in the War of 1812. The United State's industrial

Americans in the United States (Lass 6).

for her hand in marriage. The reason these sisters attract different types of men is due to their

book, while the forest plays an important role. Nearly the entire setting of the book takes place in

aspects of Cooper's novel, The Last of the Mohicans (Quinn 59).

of the day, Cooper remarked to his wife that he could do better. His wife asked him to prove it,

in love with Cora. Magua, another Indian, also has an obsession for Cora and tries several times

Another example of the effects of the lineage of the characters is shown in the way the

passes on. This is most evident in the case of Chingachgook and Uncas. After Chingachgook

both the Indian and the white culture and to use both of them in his life suggests an assimilation of

Some common words found in the essay are:
Stanley Milne, Cooper Cooper, Indian-like Hawkeye, Indians Hawkeye, West Hawkeye, United State's, Native American, English French, British Indians, Alice Munro, stanley milne, munro sisters, mohican tribe, fort william henry, mixed blood, native americans, fort william, chingachgook uncas, throughout novel, william henry, duncan heyward, civilization apparent throughout, uncas son chingachgook, native american culture, apparent throughout novel,
Approximate Word count = 2522
Approximate Pages = 10 (250 words per page double spaced)