Terri St. John commented the light is Alice’s purity and
innocence.LITR 4232:
American Renaissance
University
of Houston-Clear Lake, spring 2002
Student Presentation Summary
January 31, 2002
Reader: Regina Richardson
Recorder:
Elizabeth Little
Presentation:
The Last of the Mohicans
The presentation summary will cover the
following:
Objective 2:
To study the movement of “Romanticism,” the narrative genre of
“romance,”
and the related styles of the “gothic” and the “sublime.”
Objective 3:
To use literature as the basis for discussing representative problems and
subjects
of American culture (New Historicism), such as equality, race,
gender,
class, the family, the individual and the community, nature, and the
writer’s
conflicted presence in an anti-intellectual society.
Per the handout
on The Gothic Novel, gothic is a term for aspects of medieval art first applied
to pointed architecture in the early 17th century. As we have discussed in our lectures, Cooper’s novel takes
place on the American frontier. We
do not have castles during the novel’s time period, so Cooper gives us a
cavern. In this passage, we find
Duncan assisted by a “distant glimmering light” to help him rescue Alice.
Cooper uses the glimmering light and Alice’s paleness to contrast with
the dark cavern. We have the gothic
representation of light against dark. After
reading the excerpt, Regina asked what is the glimmering light that guides
Duncan?
Terri St. John commented the light is Alice’s purity and
innocence.
Professor White suggested this could be a real light.
Regina said the light could possibly be the spirit of the Indian
woman the conjurer was trying to heal.
In gothic novels magic and mystery are chief characteristics. Hawkeye in the bear costume and the conjuror are examples of the magic and mystery. The conjuror plays into the mystery of gothic because the conjuror’s purpose was to rid the evil spirit from the Indian woman (278). Hawkeye plays into the mystery of gothic when he uses the bear costume to deceive the Hurons in the cavern and in his attempt to rescue Uncas. Hawkeye, as the bear, enters the “silent and gloomy” place “lighted by dying embers of a fire.” Is Uncas’ captivity in this gloomy place an omen of his impending death?
Rhonda Dunn agreed that the scene could be foreshadowing or an
omen of death.
Brenda Upton compared this with a movie in which the hero had a
bright star to follow.
Angie Rau explained the “dying embers” are the same embers
used for cooking food, which gives life and nourishment.
This contrasts to the life that is possibly ending.
Regina added that light gives warmth and sustains life, but when
the light goes out it could symbolize death.
Objective
3 Gender p.303/para 2
Magua takes Alice, but the men (Duncan and Hawkeye) offer no resistance. When Magua looks at Cora, her stare makes Magua unsure of his actions. For Magua to even look at Cora proves she is his equal (page 287 reference when he walks into the Delaware camp he greets the men, but he neglects to notice the women).
Objective
3 Gender p.315/last para
In this passage, we see Cora has a strong will making her equal to the men in this novel. One example is when she tells Magua that even though she is his prisoner she will decide her own death. We see Cooper has removed Cora from the docile boundaries of women during this time period. Think about the name Cora and what it might mean. I assumed Cora derives from the word coral meaning a hard skeletal substance. Cora does have a tough exterior compared to Alice.
Objective
3 Gender p.336/para 8
Cora decides to end it here. Why does Cooper give Cora a strong character (for a woman during this time) and then kill her off?
Val Harpster suggested that with the representation of Black,
White, and Red races coming together civilization is expanding.
Cities and communities are being developed. The characters of Uncas (a native) and Cora (a woman of
color) represented the end of an uncivilized society in order for a more
civilized society to begin. If you
look at Duncan he is more “city type.”
Terri St. John mentioned Cora represented the code of chivalry in
a female. Cora stuck with her
beliefs. Cora can be likened to a
knight in shining armor who often dies for what he believes in.
Patricia Coleman said Cooper makes the distinction that you can be
weak like Alice or strong like Cora.
Brenda Upton commented if Uncas and Cora had not died, their
relationship (in real life) would not have been accepted.
Robin Stone states society expects Uncas and Cora not to last and
not to live.
Rhonda Peyton added to Robin’s statement by offering that maybe
this was Cooper’s belief.
Professor White said give Cooper credit for testing the idea that
Uncas and Cora are a couple and for putting it out there.
Robin Stone talks about the funeral scene.
She states both Uncas and Cora (strongest of their race) go to the Happy
Hunting grounds.
Angie Rau ended the presentation by commenting that Cora and Uncas
both chose their deaths and transcend from life into death by joining together
in the Happy Hunting grounds.