The Last Of The Mohicans Essay -- essays research papers

In The Last of the Mohicans by James Fenimore Cooper, historical romance is apparent through settings, characters and plots. Cooper is considered by many critics to be the father of the American historical romance. Fred Lewis Patee said, 'Not only was Cooper the pioneer (of the historical romance) in America, and thus worthy of the highest praise, but in many respects his romances have never been surpassed.'; (212) Cooper celebrated the creative spirit of the individual and had a deep appreciation for nature. He was a romantic who enjoyed the mysteriousness and exoticness of the frontier. He favored the use of emotions over reason. Through his romantic writings, Cooper is able to captivate the reader and led them on journey through his imaginary world.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The setting in The Last of the Mohicans exhibits Cooper's historical romantic writing. The novel takes place in the American frontier. It is a place of '…wild and virgin nature.'; (Roundtree 52) The immense beauty and threat of danger from its' terrain creates an exotic impression on the reader. The mystique of the frontier entices the reader and allows their imagination to soar. Fred Lewis Pattee expresses his feelings on the use of the setting in 'The Historical Romance: Cooper's The Last of the Mohicans,'; when he says: At every step throughout the romance the reader finds himself in dim, mysterious forests that stretch on every side into the unknown. All of the nameless thrills of a wild life under the open sky sweeps over him. In some mysterious way Cooper makes us feel his environments, and catch to the full all that they hold of mystery and romance. It is a new world that he takes us into, with a language all its own. We are permitted to learn the alphabet of this language… We are taught to catch the sounds of wild life in the woods; and we tremble to feel that perhaps all about us are malignant beings from whom it is impossible to hide… His descriptions are in reality lyric poems. (213) Cooper's descriptions of the natural scenery is picturesque and striking. (Parkmam 194) Cooper describes the frontier so vividly that the reader feels transported into the novel. Through his descriptive writings of nature, Cooper shows his deepened appreciation of nature. His descriptions create '…an atmosphere that is vast and satisfying.'; (Pattee... ...ories of heroism and fighting. Critic Fred Lewis Pattee calls the novel a 'book of rescues in the nick of time.'; (212) This nick of time rescue can be seen when Hawkeye, Chingachgook, and Uncas save Alice and Cora on the summit of a mountain. (212) As one of the Huron Indians raises his knife to kill Heyward, Hawkeye fires his rifle to save the girls. This last minute rescue is not logical to the reader. However, the reason is not questioned because the reader is engrossed in the emotions from the chase scene. Cooper portrays his characters to do impossible feats. His plots favor emotions over reason. James Fenimore Cooper captivates the reader by his use of a romantic plot. James Fenimore Cooper is considered by many to be the father of the American literary movement. His writings put American literature on the level of the distinguished European literature. His romanticism was seen through plots, settings, and characters. Through these techniques, Cooper was able to express his romanticism in a new American way that still fascinates critics all over the world today. James Fenimore Cooper is one of the greatest American literary figures the world has ever seen. Word Count (1033) The Last Of The Mohicans Essay -- essays research papers In The Last of the Mohicans by James Fenimore Cooper, historical romance is apparent through settings, characters and plots. Cooper is considered by many critics to be the father of the American historical romance. Fred Lewis Patee said, 'Not only was Cooper the pioneer (of the historical romance) in America, and thus worthy of the highest praise, but in many respects his romances have never been surpassed.'; (212) Cooper celebrated the creative spirit of the individual and had a deep appreciation for nature. He was a romantic who enjoyed the mysteriousness and exoticness of the frontier. He favored the use of emotions over reason. Through his romantic writings, Cooper is able to captivate the reader and led them on journey through his imaginary world.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The setting in The Last of the Mohicans exhibits Cooper's historical romantic writing. The novel takes place in the American frontier. It is a place of '…wild and virgin nature.'; (Roundtree 52) The immense beauty and threat of danger from its' terrain creates an exotic impression on the reader. The mystique of the frontier entices the reader and allows their imagination to soar. Fred Lewis Pattee expresses his feelings on the use of the setting in 'The Historical Romance: Cooper's The Last of the Mohicans,'; when he says: At every step throughout the romance the reader finds himself in dim, mysterious forests that stretch on every side into the unknown. All of the nameless thrills of a wild life under the open sky sweeps over him. In some mysterious way Cooper makes us feel his environments, and catch to the full all that they hold of mystery and romance. It is a new world that he takes us into, with a language all its own. We are permitted to learn the alphabet of this language… We are taught to catch the sounds of wild life in the woods; and we tremble to feel that perhaps all about us are malignant beings from whom it is impossible to hide… His descriptions are in reality lyric poems. (213) Cooper's descriptions of the natural scenery is picturesque and striking. (Parkmam 194) Cooper describes the frontier so vividly that the reader feels transported into the novel. Through his descriptive writings of nature, Cooper shows his deepened appreciation of nature. His descriptions create '…an atmosphere that is vast and satisfying.'; (Pattee... ...ories of heroism and fighting. Critic Fred Lewis Pattee calls the novel a 'book of rescues in the nick of time.'; (212) This nick of time rescue can be seen when Hawkeye, Chingachgook, and Uncas save Alice and Cora on the summit of a mountain. (212) As one of the Huron Indians raises his knife to kill Heyward, Hawkeye fires his rifle to save the girls. This last minute rescue is not logical to the reader. However, the reason is not questioned because the reader is engrossed in the emotions from the chase scene. Cooper portrays his characters to do impossible feats. His plots favor emotions over reason. James Fenimore Cooper captivates the reader by his use of a romantic plot. James Fenimore Cooper is considered by many to be the father of the American literary movement. His writings put American literature on the level of the distinguished European literature. His romanticism was seen through plots, settings, and characters. Through these techniques, Cooper was able to express his romanticism in a new American way that still fascinates critics all over the world today. James Fenimore Cooper is one of the greatest American literary figures the world has ever seen. Word Count (1033)