LITR
4232: American Renaissance
Online Student's Assignments
Valerie
Lawrence
LITR 4232
January 30, 2003
First
Half of Last of the Mohicans
In Last of the Mohicans, there are many different themes that are explored. Most of the themes continue throughout the book, but they begin to build during the first half. One of the most prevalent themes is the Indians' relationship with nature.
A student from 2001 wrote the following passage about this theme,
…Cooper repeatedly discusses the closeness of the Indians to nature. In this way, Cooper exemplified the way the Indians were able to find a divinity in nature. Cooper uses this, however, to discuss the very American problems of race relations. By showing the Indians as "close to nature" and thereby close to God," Cooper brings into to question the savageness of the Indians. Cooper also uses this idea that the Indians see something that the white man does not to suggest that maybe the white man is missing something important and vital lesson of the universe. Cooper makes many references to "paths only Indians can see." With this idea, Cooper questions the strength of the white man’s sight and suggests that there is much to be learned from the Indians.
I have to disagree with this statement somewhat. As the story progresses, Duncan becomes more in tune to nature the longer that he is in it. His hearing becomes much more acute, he can hear things in the forest that he could not hear before. He is unable to identify these noises, but he is at least hearing them. Duncan will never have the advanced senses that belong to Hawkeye and the Indians, but he is becoming more aware of the different skills and senses necessary to survive in the forest. He is also able to identify the sounds of the frightened horses when Hawkeye and the Indians are unable to figure out what the sound is.
When Cooper is using the issue of religion and nature, he never really seems to have an argument for either side. The Indians have their own sense of religion through nature and Cooper romanticizes that, but he does not seem to think that the white men are missing something through their own religion. David Gamut is a very religious man. He is at first appalled by Hawkeye’s interpretation of religion, but he learns to accept it. David’s religion is what he has grown up with in his world, whereas nature is what Hawkeye lives by. It does not seem that David has anything missing in his life by not having his religion mixed with nature. His religion comforts him in nature after his colt is killed. It also helps him out later on in the book when he is singing Psalms to comfort himself and the Indians do not kill him because they think he is crazy.
Since the 1992 movie was discussed in the lecture notes as well as in the presentations, I would like to discuss it shortly here. Here is the statement made in the 2001 presentation by Cleo Huval-Moore,
While the book itself is classic, the movie altered to fit popular culture: different people live, the characters have a different appearance, Uncas and Alice are paired together. In the movie, Alice is a more independent character, and Cora always clasps to Hawkeye. Dr. White added that in the movie version Duncan is a European sort, which makes him into a villain by today's movie stereotypes. Magua wants to kill Cora until he meets her, and he is almost more out in the open than Uncas with his love for Cora.
I agree that the movie was more suited to popular culture than the book. Cora and Hawkeye are a couple in the movie while there is an implied romance between Uncas and Alice. It would be okay in today’s society to have an Indian male with a white, blond female. However, in the book, it had to be between an Indian male and a woman of mixed parentage. Even though Cooper addresses the issue of Cora’s parentage while trying to address prejudice, he is also giving in to the prejudice by making these race issues between the couple. The character of Duncan is a jerk in the movie and never listens to anything that Hawkeye or the Indians tell him. Although he dies nobly, no one really misses him. Also, Cora’s strength is what saves her in the movie, whereas in the book, it is what kills her. Duncan in the movie is not a good character, although he dies nobly, no one really misses him when he is gone. The Duncan in the story is much more likeable. The best version of Last of the Mohicans is the 1924 silent version. It actually follows the storyline and does not make any character changes.