Theme, Characters, and Mood of The Last of the Mohicans.
James Fenimore Cooper was born on September 15, 1789 in Burlington, New Jersey. His father was a judge as well as a member of Congress. He grew up near Lake Otsego, an area that may have influenced his writings. At the age of thirteen Cooper entered Yale College where he studied for three years. He died on September 14, 1851 in Cooperstown, New York (Ringe 65). His first book, Precaution, was not a success. This failure only pushed him to write another book. His second book, The Spy, was a big success and established Cooper's popularity. His success increased when he wrote The Pioneers, the first book of the Leather- Stocking Series. The one book that is said to be a masterpiece is The Last of the Mohicans published in 1826. This book established Cooper as the first American literary figure. Even though the book was a huge success there were a lot of complaints. The main complaint was that the book was "badly written, repetitive, and lacked pace and characterization, even if its historical veracity was praiseworthy" (Barker and Sabin 27). The characters in "The Last of the Mohicans" face many racial problems as well as internal conflicts. .
The Last of the Mohicans was written by James Fenimore Cooper and was published in 1826. It is said in this novel that the Indian characters are idealized and vaguely resemble real Indians. The novel is an adventure and is set in the forests of North America during the Seven Years War between Great Britain and France. The plot is centered around Alice and Cora Munroe who are trying to get back with their father after be captured by Uncas. Hawkeye is the main protagonist in The Last of the Mohicans. Hawkeye goes by several names including Natty Bumppo, La Longue Carabine (the long rifle), and the scout. Hawkeye is the main character in several novels by Cooper, known collectively as The Leather-stocking tales.
