Cooper's The Last Of The Mohicans
The major theme of Cooper's The Last of the Mohicans in relation to the allegoric nature of the novel's climax and to its denouement is the lesson of revenge. The antagonist of the novel, Magua, was a former soldier in Munro's army. During that time his taste for whisky, or "firewater", causes him to be punished by a brutal horsewhipping and he looses his dignity. This dent to the pride of Magua sets him on the path of the declared vengeance towards Colonel Munro and his bloodline in his two daughters. Cooper brings the reader down the twisted path of revenge with Magua. It will be up to the fortitude of two daughters and two sons to outlast Magua's lust for retribution. The children of Colonel Monro and Chingachgook, the noble Mohican
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father, strive at every attempt to serve notice to Magua that revenge is never a straight line.
The protagonist of the novel is no single person, but rather a group of the good characters consisting of a British Major Duncan, the frontier scout Hawkeye, the British daughters Cora and younger Alice, Uncas, Chingachgook, and David.
Each of these characters proved throughout the novel to be brave and loyal to each other. The antagonist, Magua, wishes to capture Munro's daughters and make Cora his wife in order to fulfill his revenge on the man that has previously mistreated him. Unfortunately for Magua, the protagonists had formed their tight nit group and fought off him and the Huron tribe with courage and triumph. Because of the protagonist's efforts and success, Magua's plan of revenge on Colonel Munro is continually ruined, and therefore they too became a mission of Magua's …show more content…
vengeance.
The climax of The Last of the Mohicans occurs in Chapter 32. After a fierce battle in which the protagonists and the Delawares defeat Magua and the Hurons, Magua and two of his men escape with Cora and are tracked to the edge of a cliff. When Cora refuses to continue on and with revenge still running hot through his blood, Magua demands of Cora to "chose; the wigwam or the knife of Le Subtil!" (p. 349) As he hesitantly raises the blade, Uncas leaps at him causing Magua to step back. At the same moment that Magua steps back, one of his assisting Hurons stabs Cora in the chest and kills her. Uncas kills Cora's assailant before being stabbed in the chest three times by Magua and then falling dead at his feet. "Magua uttered a cry so fierce, so wild, and yet so joyous, that it conveyed the sounds of savage triumph to the ears of those who fought in the valley, a thousand feet below." (p. 350) Here Magua is blinded by his taste for revenge and is taking such pride and joy in the fact that he has accomplished his long sought after mission to destroy both Colonel Munro as well as one of the protagonists. It is only that much sweeter to Magua that the protagonist he was able to kill was Uncas, the last of the Mohicans. "Before taking the leap, however, the Huron paused, and shaking his hand at the scout, he shouted, --The pale-faces are dogs! The Delewares women! Magua leaves them on the rocks, for the crows!'" (p. 351) Because of his hatred that he has acquired from his revenge, his is still mocking his enemies while attempting to flee from them with his life. While leaping away and mocking his enemies, he loses his step and nearly falls off one cliff, but manages to hang onto a shrub on its edge. Just as he is recovering, however, Hawkeye raises the muzzle of "Killdeer" and shoots Magua, causing him to slip to his death. Instead of letting go of the hatred and vengeance towards Munro and moving on to live his life on the land in peace with his tribe, Magua made it his vowed promise to make Munro pay for the pain he inflicted on Magua. This vengeance was accomplished, but to what avail? He not only caused the death and pain among his loathed protagonists, but also to his own tribe including himself.
Although the main theme for the climax of the novel is a lesson on revenge, there are other minor themes throughout the novel regarding life, race, and human relations. The main lesson on life that can be gained here would be that life is hard, short and precious. You should never take for granted each moment you have and we should all live our lives to their fullest, while at the same time being brave and honorable. There is great power in Cooper's words about frontier life in 1750's Americas. This way of living is shown through all of the protagonist's characters. Each of them shows most of, if not all of the character traits of love, loyalty, bravery, and heroism. Cooper not only creates the characters that each of us should pride ourselves to imitate their example, but he also demonstrates the character that is far from the model that you would want for morals and values. Magua's character lived his life with anger and revenge in his heart, causing him to develop wicked and dishonorable ways. His Huron tribe had no qualms about bashing a baby's head on a rock just before slitting the throat of that infant's innocent mother. In many instances throughout the novel Cooper makes it clear that they are regarded as devils with their whoopings as hellish yells and evil sounds.
Cooper offers to the reader the ability to view the Native red men as hell's killers or noble savages. Race should not matter in ones judgment of a person or their character. Cooper has cleverly intermingled races in this novel in a few interesting ways. Cora's character is a one of mixed blood. She is from a different mother than Alice and it is believed to have a mix of Munro's white British blood and that of a West Indian slave. Because of this Cora frowns on racism and color differentiation which is probably one of the reasons that Hawkeye and the Mohicans admired her as they did. Since Hawkeye's character is a white man living an Indians life, with Mohican morals and values, there is a collision of mixed cultures. He was raised by the Mohican tribe from childhood and with the Mohican tribe is where his heart and loyalty remain. The different races are pointed out in the novel only to show the reader that racism can be overcome when the fear of death is introduced as a motive. Despite the fact that Duncan, the sisters, and his detachment of white infantry were obviously from British decent and not of the Indian race (with the exception of Cora), they easily looked past the racial differences and vowed to put their lives on the line to protect the lives of their newly found friends with bravery and honor. Cooper's novel is also largely displaying the example when racism cannot be overcome as he displays the turmoil and hatred that can occur between the different tribes of the same indigenous race.
Human relation in this novel is one of the most touching aspects of the reading.
The parental bond was shown in several different ways through the characters and what they meant to each other. There was the strong and obvious parental bond between Chingachgook and Uncas as well as that between Munro and his daughters. Both of these relationships showed the utmost love and respect towards each other and proved to be a bond that could never be broken. For this reason alone is why Magua knew that he could get his revenge on Munro through his daughters, as well as the reason Magua took such pleasure in taking the life of Uncas. Another parental bond that is shown is that between Cora and Alice as well as through Hawkeye and Uncas. Although both pairs of these characters are siblings in the novel, their love and bond with each other go far beyond the normal sibling bond. It is shown and mentioned on many occasions how Cora exemplified maternal feelings towards Alice. Hawkeye, adopted by Chingachgook and the Mohican tribe, is by default Uncas' brother, but his actions prove his bond with him to be much more that that of a brother. He has taught Uncas many things including how to shoot the white man's gun and has watched him grow into the honorable man that he had become. He would not hesitate to lay his life on the line for the safety of his brother
Uncas.
Cooper's novel The Last of the Mohicans is one of many life lessons and one that offers the reader an exciting journey of twists and turns, requiring you to turn the page for more. The reader is provided with many insights and lessons on revenge and heroism as well as many other aspects of life, race and human relations within the backdrop of the French and Indian Wars of Frontier Americas. Each of the characters has their own special characteristics and ways about them that show us the different aspects of life. Cooper leaves the reader to grow in the wisdom of Frontier life, family bond, racial differences and the triumph of survival over revenge.
father, strive at every attempt to serve notice to Magua that revenge is never a straight line.
The protagonist of the novel is no single person, but rather a group of the good characters consisting of a British Major Duncan, the frontier scout Hawkeye, the British daughters Cora and younger Alice, Uncas, Chingachgook, and David.
Each of these characters proved throughout the novel to be brave and loyal to each other. The antagonist, Magua, wishes to capture Munro's daughters and make Cora his wife in order to fulfill his revenge on the man that has previously mistreated him. Unfortunately for Magua, the protagonists had formed their tight nit group and fought off him and the Huron tribe with courage and triumph. Because of the protagonist's efforts and success, Magua's plan of revenge on Colonel Munro is continually ruined, and therefore they too became a mission of Magua's …show more content…
vengeance.
The climax of The Last of the Mohicans occurs in Chapter 32. After a fierce battle in which the protagonists and the Delawares defeat Magua and the Hurons, Magua and two of his men escape with Cora and are tracked to the edge of a cliff. When Cora refuses to continue on and with revenge still running hot through his blood, Magua demands of Cora to "chose; the wigwam or the knife of Le Subtil!" (p. 349) As he hesitantly raises the blade, Uncas leaps at him causing Magua to step back. At the same moment that Magua steps back, one of his assisting Hurons stabs Cora in the chest and kills her. Uncas kills Cora's assailant before being stabbed in the chest three times by Magua and then falling dead at his feet. "Magua uttered a cry so fierce, so wild, and yet so joyous, that it conveyed the sounds of savage triumph to the ears of those who fought in the valley, a thousand feet below." (p. 350) Here Magua is blinded by his taste for revenge and is taking such pride and joy in the fact that he has accomplished his long sought after mission to destroy both Colonel Munro as well as one of the protagonists. It is only that much sweeter to Magua that the protagonist he was able to kill was Uncas, the last of the Mohicans. "Before taking the leap, however, the Huron paused, and shaking his hand at the scout, he shouted, --The pale-faces are dogs! The Delewares women! Magua leaves them on the rocks, for the crows!'" (p. 351) Because of his hatred that he has acquired from his revenge, his is still mocking his enemies while attempting to flee from them with his life. While leaping away and mocking his enemies, he loses his step and nearly falls off one cliff, but manages to hang onto a shrub on its edge. Just as he is recovering, however, Hawkeye raises the muzzle of "Killdeer" and shoots Magua, causing him to slip to his death. Instead of letting go of the hatred and vengeance towards Munro and moving on to live his life on the land in peace with his tribe, Magua made it his vowed promise to make Munro pay for the pain he inflicted on Magua. This vengeance was accomplished, but to what avail? He not only caused the death and pain among his loathed protagonists, but also to his own tribe including himself.
Although the main theme for the climax of the novel is a lesson on revenge, there are other minor themes throughout the novel regarding life, race, and human relations. The main lesson on life that can be gained here would be that life is hard, short and precious. You should never take for granted each moment you have and we should all live our lives to their fullest, while at the same time being brave and honorable. There is great power in Cooper's words about frontier life in 1750's Americas. This way of living is shown through all of the protagonist's characters. Each of them shows most of, if not all of the character traits of love, loyalty, bravery, and heroism. Cooper not only creates the characters that each of us should pride ourselves to imitate their example, but he also demonstrates the character that is far from the model that you would want for morals and values. Magua's character lived his life with anger and revenge in his heart, causing him to develop wicked and dishonorable ways. His Huron tribe had no qualms about bashing a baby's head on a rock just before slitting the throat of that infant's innocent mother. In many instances throughout the novel Cooper makes it clear that they are regarded as devils with their whoopings as hellish yells and evil sounds.
Cooper offers to the reader the ability to view the Native red men as hell's killers or noble savages. Race should not matter in ones judgment of a person or their character. Cooper has cleverly intermingled races in this novel in a few interesting ways. Cora's character is a one of mixed blood. She is from a different mother than Alice and it is believed to have a mix of Munro's white British blood and that of a West Indian slave. Because of this Cora frowns on racism and color differentiation which is probably one of the reasons that Hawkeye and the Mohicans admired her as they did. Since Hawkeye's character is a white man living an Indians life, with Mohican morals and values, there is a collision of mixed cultures. He was raised by the Mohican tribe from childhood and with the Mohican tribe is where his heart and loyalty remain. The different races are pointed out in the novel only to show the reader that racism can be overcome when the fear of death is introduced as a motive. Despite the fact that Duncan, the sisters, and his detachment of white infantry were obviously from British decent and not of the Indian race (with the exception of Cora), they easily looked past the racial differences and vowed to put their lives on the line to protect the lives of their newly found friends with bravery and honor. Cooper's novel is also largely displaying the example when racism cannot be overcome as he displays the turmoil and hatred that can occur between the different tribes of the same indigenous race.
Human relation in this novel is one of the most touching aspects of the reading.
The parental bond was shown in several different ways through the characters and what they meant to each other. There was the strong and obvious parental bond between Chingachgook and Uncas as well as that between Munro and his daughters. Both of these relationships showed the utmost love and respect towards each other and proved to be a bond that could never be broken. For this reason alone is why Magua knew that he could get his revenge on Munro through his daughters, as well as the reason Magua took such pleasure in taking the life of Uncas. Another parental bond that is shown is that between Cora and Alice as well as through Hawkeye and Uncas. Although both pairs of these characters are siblings in the novel, their love and bond with each other go far beyond the normal sibling bond. It is shown and mentioned on many occasions how Cora exemplified maternal feelings towards Alice. Hawkeye, adopted by Chingachgook and the Mohican tribe, is by default Uncas' brother, but his actions prove his bond with him to be much more that that of a brother. He has taught Uncas many things including how to shoot the white man's gun and has watched him grow into the honorable man that he had become. He would not hesitate to lay his life on the line for the safety of his brother
Uncas.
Cooper's novel The Last of the Mohicans is one of many life lessons and one that offers the reader an exciting journey of twists and turns, requiring you to turn the page for more. The reader is provided with many insights and lessons on revenge and heroism as well as many other aspects of life, race and human relations within the backdrop of the French and Indian Wars of Frontier Americas. Each of the characters has their own special characteristics and ways about them that show us the different aspects of life. Cooper leaves the reader to grow in the wisdom of Frontier life, family bond, racial differences and the triumph of survival over revenge.