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Some of his achievements include:
OKAY, STOP THE TAPE!!!
During our very long road trip, our little coach decided to do a Fenimore on us!
Cooper is the author of a book called The Last of the Mohicans. This book depicts the battle of Fort William Henry and adds the fictional kidnapping of two white pioneering sisters (whites were often kidnapped by Native Americans in Cooper's novels). This book was actually made into a movie in 1992, and did very well at the box office. Of all of Coopers books, this is by far the most famous.
In his third book, Pioneers, the character Natty Bumppo was born, a uniquely American personification of rugged individualism and the pioneer spirit. This was a recurring theme in Cooper's work. In last of the Mohicans as well as many of his other books there is also a new element introduced to the American people, that of the role of the Native American in literature, and popular culture. Cooper's novels played a key role in the perception of Native Americans and thus how they were treated consequently. This went hand in hand with the fact that Western expansion was on the hearts and minds of many Americans, as was what to do about the "Indian problem". Many wanted to push the native people of America west of Mississippi into unknown territory. Basically they wanted them to go away - far away. Pioneers and other American settlers were still not content to share the land with people who were here long before they even set sights on this land.
It was this land that was often the backdrop for Cooper's novels. In The Deerslayer, the famous character Natty Bumppo runs into an Indian trying to steal canoes. Throughout their verbal combat Natty continues to talk about his "white gifts", and apparently this guy was to fear him, as well as his gifts if he were smart. In addition, he tells the man about how much stronger and smarter he is. Even when Natty's enemy tries to attack him (assumingly unprovoked) Natty is able to effortlessly disable him. Yet another unrealstic fact in the novel comes to light when we find out that even though Natty was raised by Indians he miraculously has a better sense of morals, judgement, and wit than those who raised him. Surprisingly he has a perfect command of the English language, while those who raised him speak in metaphors and can't quite convey their message. Here is another taste of what I am talking about:
" 'This-a-way, red-skin; this-a-way, if you're looking for me.' he called out. 'I'm young in war, but not so young as to stande on an open beach to be shot down like an owl by daylight. It rests on yourself whether it's peace or war atween us; for my gifts are white gifts, and I'm not one of them that thinks it valiant to slay human mortals singly in the woods. "
This is shows the morally superiority of whites, which was a theme throughout all of Cooper's works. Cooper certainly was not one who believed that Indians and whites would be able to live together. In his Letter XXXIV of "Notions of the Americans" written in 1828 Cooper wrote that:
Kevin
Please email me at:
kevin1@ustrek.org
Irene - I sing Walt Whitman, the poet electric |
