T.

C
GIRESUN UNIVERSITY
THE FACULTY OF SCIENCE AND LITERATURE

"THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS"

GÜLSÜM OYUNLU
170216026
INTRODUCTION

The Last of the Mohicans was written by James Fenimore Cooper. The novel was
published in 1826 as the second part of the series, but takes place at a time before the first
novel, The First. Cooper mixes historical facts with exciting adventure. The historical context
is given by the wars of colonization between France and Great Britain (1754-1763). The plot
takes place in 1757. Deceived by the evil Indian Magua, Officer Heyward, Cora and Alice,
the daughters of Colonel Munro, find themselves in the middle of the desert with the white
messenger Hawkeye and his Indian friends, Chingachgook and Uncas. Hawkeye and
Chingachgook manage to prevent the abduction of the two women at the hands of enemy
ferrets. Once arrived at the English Fort William Henry, travelers should see how the French
surround and take the fort. The eviction of the fort ends in a bloodbath, because the Indian
allies of the French attack and stab the retreating British. In the midst of the general chaos,
Magua manages to kidnap the colonel's daughters and transfer them to two Indian camps. The
travelers manage to free Alice, but Cora dies in the middle of the chase. With her, Uncas,
whose father, Chingachgook, is the last surviving Mohican, also dies. With its description
and action-packed plot, Cooper created the model for later Native American Indian and
adventure novels.

The Last of the Mohicans, arguably the most famous novel of Cooper's pentalogy,
contains all the elements of the typical Wild West novel, although it actually takes place in
the American East: skirmishes between British and French troops, Indians on a war footing,
persecutions, massacres, kidnappings of white girls, secret hiding places, and meetings in
tribal settlements, among others. Cooper mixes the historical facts of the colonial war
between the British and French with an adventure plot

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

James Fenimore Cooper was born on September 15, 1789, in Burlington, New
Jersey. Some years earlier his father had founded the pioneer colony Cooperstown by Lake
Otsego, where the family moved after James' birth. James was the eleventh child of twelve in
the Cooper family. When he turned 11, he began taking classes in Albany with a priest. Two
years later he began studying at Yale. In 1805 he entered the navy and toured Europe aboard
the Sterling. He was a member of the navy for six years, became a cadet and served on the
lakes of the northern United States, especially Lake Ontario. In 1811 he married and spent the
next twelve years in Cooperstown, before moving to New York. There he began writing at
the age of 30 after reading an English social novel and felt he could do better. The success of
his first publication did not entirely prove him right: Precaution (1820) is not exactly a
success. But Cooper found pleasure in writing: The Spy (1821) received good reviews,
because the author resorted to a familiar scenario: the story of a spy in the service of George
Washington. From 1823 began to publish the five novels of the pentalogy of the "leather
leggings", which would give him fame in Europe: The pioneers (1823), The Last Mohican
(1826), The prairie (1827), The explorer (1840) and The deer hunter (1841). Meanwhile,
Cooper traveled for several years in Europe, and the third novel of the cycle was published in
Paris. Upon returning, except for a study trip in 1848 to the Midwest, Cooper practically
never left Cooperstown again. He died there on September 14, 1851.Cooper is also known for
his narratives and travel accounts, and is considered one of the most important writers of
American literature of his time.

SUMMARY

America, 1757 – War between the English and the French reigns in the colonies.
Indian tribes intervene on both sides of the battlefield. Colonel Munro's two daughters – the
petite, blonde Alice and the temperamental, dark-haired Cora – ride from Fort Edward to
Fort William Henry to visit their father. There, they have heard, they may be attacked by the
French. The girls are accompanied by the young officer Duncan Heyward and the Indian
Magua, in charge of getting ahead of the troops and showing them the safe way through the
forest. Along the way is David Gamut, a master of religious songs. Although they depart
with the first rays of the day, travelers have not reached their destination by nightfall.
Heyward suspects Magua has sent them down the wrong path. Suddenly, they run into a
white messenger named Natty Bumppo, nicknamed Hawkeye, Uncas, the chief of the
Mohicans and his father, Chingachgook. Heyward talks to Hawkeye, who warns him not to
trust Magua. Magua, for his part, suspects that his ruse has been discovered and escapes.

Behind the Waterfall

Hawkeye decides to take the group to their secret hiding place. After crossing some
rapids, they arrive at a cave located in the middle of an island between Glenn Falls. There
they make a bonfire, roast meat and eat the provisions of the whites. Suddenly, during the
night, a horrible squeal is heard: it is the officer's horse, which neighs in terror. A group of
Indians, followed by wild wolves, have found the hiding place and are lurking. During the
early morning there is a battle in which Hawkeye shows his skill with the rifle. The enemies
manage to escape, but take with them the canoe that has the ammunition for Hawkeye's
weapon. Natty no longer has gunpowder and throws his rifle. Cora proposes that the men
swim down the river to seek help. Uncas wants to keep the women, but Cora implores him to
take a message to his father. By following the current of the river, they manage to get out of
the danger zone. The brave Cora also tries to convince Heyward that she and her sister will be
able to fend for themselves, but the officer refuses to leave them unprotected. Shortly after
Hawkeye and the two Mohicans have left, the attackers return. Great is their joy when they
discover Hawkeye's weapon, because they think that La Longue Carabine (the long rifle), as
they respectfully call it, was dead. When climbing the rocks, they find the cavern. Heyward
believes that all is lost, as the Indians destroy the hiding place. However, they are not
discovered right away. Suddenly, a figure appears at the entrance of the cave. It is Magua, the
traitor who had led Heyward and the two women down the wrong path. Heyward tries to
shoot him, but fails. The officer, the psalm singer and the women are taken prisoner.

Magua's Revenge Plans

When the ferrets learn that Hawkeye and the Mohicans have managed to escape, they
become enraged and decide to kill Alice; However, the leader gathers the warriors. Prisoners
are transported in canoes off the island. Upon reaching the south coast, the troops separate
and Magua watches over the prisoners. With kind words, Heyward proposes to release the
women in exchange for ransom, but Magua rejects the idea. Magua confesses to Cora that he
used to be the chief of the Hurons, but that he was expelled from the tribe when he accepted
brandy from the whites. He is now a warrior of the Mohawks. He fought alongside Cora's
father, but he had him whipped and attacked his honor. Now he wants revenge by taking Cora
for his wife, so that his father always has to think of him. In exchange for her agreeing to
marry him, Magua will free Alice. Cora refuses. Furious, Magua instigates the other Indians
against the prisoners, tying them to a tree. Heyward manages to free himself from his bonds.
While fighting with one of the captors, a gun goes off and the captor falls dead to the ground.

For the Territory of War

Hawkeye and the two Mohicans are back. They attack the ferrets and fight an
arduous battle. Chingachgook stabs Magua until he falls without strength. Suddenly, he
stands up again and quickly disappears into the foliage. The Mohican tears off the scalps of
the slain enemies. They also manage to free the singer of psalms, who, immediately, begins
to brag about the intercession of divine providence. The small troop heads north again, in the
direction of Fort William Henry. Travelers spend the night in an abandoned cabin, the scene
of ancient battles. Near the fort they encounter a French guard that they manage to cross
thanks to their knowledge of French. But then, Chingachgook kills the lookout and adds the
hair to his trophy collection. The fort is surrounded, so the small group is again in danger.
Finally, they manage to reach the fort and Munro is able to hug his daughter.

The Capitulation of the English

Security in the fort is illusory. Hawkeye is sent on a mission to Fort Edward and on
his return is stopped by the French Marquis Montcalm. Worse still, a letter from General
Webb, from Fort Edward, addressed to Colonel Munro, also falls into the hands of the
French. After five days of siege, the attacks finally stop. Montcalm requests a meeting with
Munro, but Munro sends Heyward instead. When Heyward reaches the enemy position he
finds a well-known face: Magua, who supports the French with his warriors. The Marquis
demands the surrender of the fort to the French, otherwise the Indian allies will escalate
further in their attacks. Heyward rejects the proposal. Upon returning, he finds Munro
reunited with his daughters. The men discuss the future marriage between Heyward and
Alice. Actually, the old colonel thought Heyward was interested in Cora. Munro tells her that
her daughters come from different mothers and that Cora's mother is mixed-race. He accuses
Heyward of not loving Cora because she is not white. Heyward rejects the accusation,
although inside he acknowledges his latent racism. Finally, the officers meet the French
leader and present their surrender. The conditions of the French: the English can keep their
arms and their flags, and withdraw undisturbed.

Massacre and Abduction

The next morning, the English troops and their families leave the fort. The French
and Allied Indians watch them. They are not satisfied with the end of the battle. Suddenly,
one of the Indians pulls the colorful handkerchief of one of the English women with which he
has wrapped his child, takes the child and destroys his head against a rock. Then use the
tomahawk to split the head of the mother begging for mercy. Magua launches a war cry,
which the others answer. More than two thousand warriors come out of the forest and leave a
bloodbath among the English. Magua captures Alice and Cora and manages to take them with
him amid the chaos of battle. Hawkeye and the Mohicans find footprints indicating that
Magua has kidnapped the two women.

The next morning the traces of the enemy follow. Hawkeye is about to shoot one of
the Indians when he realizes that it is the psalm singer, Gamut. The man has shaved his hair
like the Iroquois and painted his body. While Hawkeye still laughs, Gamut tells him that the
savages freed him because they thought he was crazy because of his chants. He also tells her
that the Munro sisters were separated: Alice is in a ferret camp and Cora is with the
Delawares. Chingachgook stays with Colonel Munro. Heyward and Gamut want to search for
Alice in the Hurons' camp, while Hawkeye and Uncas attempt to free Cora from the
Delaware camp. Heyward and Gamut sit firmly in front of the Hurons chieftain and Heyward
claims to be French. Suddenly, some warriors return to the camp and bring Uncas as a
prisoner. When Magua joins shortly after, he recognizes Uncas and demands that the
chieftains torture the Mohican so that he die before dawn. Since the Indians believe that
Heyward is a doctor, they hope that he will cure the sick daughter of the chieftain. The girl is
in a cave nearby. On the way, they are followed by a friendly bear who even tries to imitate
Gamut's terrifying song in the cave. Suddenly, the bear takes off its head: it's Hawkeye. He
climbs a wall and finds Alice, but before he can free her, Magua enters the cave. The whites
manage to defeat him and tie him up. Heyward pretends to hold the dying girl, but in reality it
is Alice. In this way, he manages to escape with her into the forest. The two head to the
Delabares camp, while Hawkeye returns with the Hurons to free Uncas. They also go looking
for the Delawars to help Cora.
Tamenund, The White Chieftain

Magua, who has found the cave, tries to ruin the plan. The next morning he arrives at
the Delabares camp and says he suspects that La Longue Carabine is hiding in the camp.
Given the danger of this being true, an honorable 100-year-old man named Tamenund calls
an official meeting. It's about deciding what the fate of Cora, Alice, Hawkeye, Heyward and
Uncas will be. Uncas must go through the torture of the litmus test since he has given his
support to Hawkeye, however, a turtle tattooed on Uncas' chest makes Tamenund change his
mind: the old man has recognized in the boy the direct successor of The Great Turtle, a high-
ranking delaware. At the same time he realizes that Magua has ulterior motives and demands
that he leave, but allows him to take Cora. Hawkeye offers Magua to go instead of Cora, but
Cora refuses him and leaves the camp with his loot.

The Last Mohican

Uncas and the Delabares perform a warrior dance. Once a reasonable time has
elapsed, they resume the pursuit of Magua. In the forest, Hawkeye runs into Gamut. He tells
her that Cora is in a cave. Agree on a plan of attack. The Hawkeye troop hides in the forest.
Suddenly, one of the delawares of Hawkeye is shot in the back. There is a fierce fight with
ferrets. Finally, Munro and Chingachgook join the fight. Cora appears on a rock, but the
Huron warriors drag her away. Hawkeye and Uncas follow them and witness the resistance
offered by Cora. Magua forces her to choose: she can become his wife or die. At that
moment, Uncas throws himself from a rock to free Cora. A ferret pierces Cora's heart with a
knife and Magua stabs Uncas in the back. Despite being wounded, Uncas stands up again and
kills Cora's killer before Magua finishes him off, stabbing him three times in the chest.
Magua tries to escape between the rocks, but falls dead when Hawkeye shoots him. The next
day, the Delabares organize a ceremony to worship their dead. They say Cora and Uncas are
now together in the eternal hunting grounds. Munro is overwhelmed by his daughter's death.
Hawkeye expresses gratitude to the Indians on behalf of Munro. The wise Tamenund
explains that his time has also come: at the dawn of his life, the Indians were powerful, but
now it is the white man who rules the land and he must now bear to see the last of the
Mohicans, once a tribe worthy of pride.
ABOUT THE TEXT

Structure and Style

The best word to describe the structure of Cooper's novel is: action. However, it
should not be thought of in terms of a permanent persecution, which barely lets the reader
breathe. On the contrary, for today's reading habits, in sections, the novel is lethargic. And
yet, the characters are in constant motion: journeys, quests, escapes, and chases, along with
scenes of sieges and fighting, constitute the main plot elements. Cooper picks up the hero
from an earlier novel: The First Planters. Hawkeye has such an important role here as the
Mohicans Uncas and Chingachgook. On the other hand, the construction and development of
the characters are not Cooper's forte: he is only interested in narrating a complicated plot, at
times comic, at times dense and, most of the time, exciting. Geographical details are
particularly important in the design of the novel: the plot takes place in present-day New
York State. The Hudson River, Glenn Falls and Lake George are the main natural elements.
Cooper's style is straightforward, but, at times, it becomes a bit intricate and loaded with
adjectives, allowing him to achieve a vivid description of the Indians and the wild terrain.

Interpretive Approaches
To describe his Indians, Cooper follows a specific scheme: many of them follow the
model of the "noble savage", others are described as intrinsically evil and ladino. The
description of Aboriginal tribes in Cooper's novels (ferrets are bad; Delawars are good)
exerted a fatal influence on public opinion, even though it is based solely on the author's
artistic freedom. When it comes to integrating the towns, Cooper has a conservative
conception: Cora, the dark, black-haired daughter that Colonel Munro had with a mestiza,
awakens the desire of the Uncas and Magua aborigines, but Heyward finds her less attractive
than the blonde Alice. Alice is polite and pure, and at the end of the novel is rewarded with a
man, while Cora meets her death. Hawkeye, the main character, has two faces: on the one
hand, he is a target of Christian morality, insightful and courageous, who has a great aversion
to superstitions. On the other hand, he has many of the traits and strengths of the Indians, is
good at following footprints and has great dexterity with the gun and hands. The character of
the psalm singer, David Gamut, is responsible for the comic segments, but, at the same time,
shows the ridiculousness of religious efforts in the natural territory of America: compared to
the pragmatism of Hawkeye, Gamut's Calvinist dogmatism is misplaced. In the novel reigns a
linguistic chaos of almost Babylonian dimensions: almost all the protagonists have several
names. Thus, for example, Natty Bumppo is also called Hawkeye, Leather Leggings and La
Longue Carabine; Indians have their aboriginal name and usually also a French name; for
example, Le Gros Serpent (The Great Serpent) is Chingachgook and Le Renard Subtil (The
Subtle Fox) is Magua. Aboriginal tribes also have different names for the other tribes. All this
shows the diversity of peoples and the different worldviews on each other, in North America,
in the mid-eighteenth century.

HISTORICAL BACKGROUND

The War Between Indians and French

The plot of The Last of the Mohicans is set against the backdrop of disputes between
the British and French and their Aboriginal allies. These battles took place between 1754 and
1763 in the North American colonies, partly parallel to the Seven Years' War in Europe. This
confrontation was preceded by three Franco-British wars that did not yield a clear result. The
different tribes of the Iroquois, including the Mohawks, were involved in the conflict because
they lived in the border territories between French and English and, especially, because they
claimed access to the Ohio Valley because of its strategic position. When, in 1754, the British
attempted to settle in the valley with the Ohio-Company, the French put up resistance. These,
in turn, began to build forts in the vicinity of Lake Erie. After some skirmishes, an open war
broke out. The French allied themselves with different aboriginal tribes with whose help they
generated great losses for the British. Until 1757, the French vastly outnumbered the British.
This changed when William Pitt took office as First Foreign Secretary (a position that
corresponds in part to the current role of the Prime Minister) in England and paid special
attention to the conflict in the colonies. From then on, the British regained territory and even,
in 1759, defeated the French army, commanded by the Marquis de Montcalm, in Quebec.
Eventually, the French were forced to surrender (signing the Peace of Paris in 1763) and cede
their possessions in North America to Britain.

Origin

Cooper may have found the inspiration for his novel during a leisurely trip through
upstate New York. There he toured the caverns surrounding Glenn's waterfalls and had the
idea of turning them into the setting for a novel. Cooper rolled up his sleeves and turned them
into the secret hideout of his hero, Hawkeye. The character of Hawkeye is also based on a
historical model: Daniel Boone (1734-1820) was a national hero who, in 1870, toured the
territories of Kentucky, where he hunted and was captured numerous times by the aborigines.
Boone founded a colony named Boonesborough. He also coined the image of the trapper and,
in the eyes of all, is considered the godfather of Hawkeye: he wore a raccoon fur hat and
fringed leather clothes, and had an especially long Kentucy rifle. During the struggles for
independence, one of his daughters was kidnapped by the Shawnees, a fact that Cooper also
relives in his novel with the abduction of one of Colonel Munro's daughters. The colonel, for
his part, also has a real model, and all the facts related to Fort William Henry have a
historical basis: the taking by General Montcalm, the surrender of August 9, 1757 and the
massacre of the Indians against the British.
CONCLUSION

The Last of the Mohicans was published in February 1826, as the second of the five volumes
of pentalogy, and became an enormous success with the public. Cooper was the first
American author to turn the vast natural territory of North America into the setting for an
adventure novel, something that strengthened the nationalism of American readers. James
Fenimore Cooper occupies the stage and destiny of being considered one of the most
outstanding authors of young adult novels. The story of The Last of the Mohicans cried out to
be taken to the cinema to amaze the public. Today, there are more than 20 film versions,
including television series and films of all time, starting with the first version of D. W.
Griffith (Leather Stocking, 1909) and ending with the most current version of Michael
Mann, with Daniel Day-Lewis in the role of Hawkeye (1992). The title of the novel is also
often used as a catchphrase: "the last Mohican" is synonymous with the last survivor of a type
of person with certain values or opinions.

RESOURCES

The Last of the Mohicans [electronic resource] : A Narrative of 1757Cooper, James

Fenimore.

Donald Janes Fennimore Cooper, NY: Tawyne Publishers, 1962 Literary History of the
United States.