The Last of the Mohicans
| File:Largemohicanpenguin.jpg | |
| Author | James Fenimore Cooper |
|---|---|
| Country |  United States |
| Language | English |
| Series | Leatherstocking |
| Genre | Historical novel |
| Publisher | H.C. Carey & I. Lea |
Publication date | January 1826 |
| Media type | Print (Hardback & Paperback) |
| Pages | 2 vol. |
| ISBN | NA Parameter error in {{ISBNT}}: invalid character |
| Preceded by | The Pioneers (1823) |
| Followed by | The Prairie (1827) |
The Last of the Mohicans is an epic novel by James Fenimore Cooper, first published in January 1826.
It was one of the most popular English-language novels of its time, and helped establish Cooper as one of the first world-famous American writers. Its narrative flaws were criticized from the start, and its length and elaborately formal prose style have reduced its appeal to later readers. But The Last of the Mohicans properly remains on the syllabi of most American literature courses. It is the best known of the Leatherstocking Tales, and Cooper wrote his novel The Prairie as a sequel to it.
The story takes place in 1757 during the French and Indian War, when France and Great Britain battled for control of the American and Canadian colonies. During this war, the French often allied themselves with Native American tribes in order to gain an advantage over the British, with unpredictable and often tragic results.
Plot
Mohicans was the second book by Cooper, following Pioneers in 1823, to feature the pioneer Nathaniel "Natty" Bumppo, who is known variously throughout The Leatherstocking Tales as "Deerslayer," "Hawk-eye," "Pathfinder," "Leatherstocking," etc., or simply as "The Scout." He personifies the rugged individualism and the pioneer spirit that is central to the American identity to this day.
The story is set in the British province of New York during the French and Indian War, and concerns a Huron massacre (with passive French acquiescence) of from 500 to 1,500 unarmed Anglo-American troops, who had honorably surrendered, plus some women and servants; the kidnapping of two sisters, daughters of the British commander; and their rescue by Hawk-eye, the last two Mohicans, and others. Parts of the story may have been derived from the capture and death of Jane McCrea in July 1777 near Fort Edward, New York, by members of an Algonquian tribe.
Characters
- Magua (ma-gwah)– the villain tribe of the piece; the chief driven from his tribe for drunkenness and later whipped by the British Army (also for drunkenness), for which he blames Colonel Munro
- Chingachgook – last chief of the Mohican tribe; escort to the travelling Munro sisters, father to Uncas
- Uncas – last of the Mohican tribe; escort to the travelling Munro sisters.
- Nathaniel "Natty" Bumppo, known as "Hawk-eye" – the "American hero" and escort to the Munro sisters, long-time friend of Chingachgook
- Cora Munro – dark-haired daughter of Colonel Munro; her mother, who was half-white half-black, died young--which means that Cora is a mulatto (part black)
- Alice Munro – Cora's younger, blonde half-sister
- Colonel Munro – the sisters' father, a British army colonel in command of Fort William Henry
- Duncan Heyward – a British army major from Virginia who falls in love with Alice
- David Gamut – a psalmodist (teacher of psalm singing)
- General Webb – Colonel Munro's commanding officer, originally stationed at Albany, who later takes command at Fort Edward (whence he either cannot or will not come to Colonel Munro's aid when Fort William Henry is besieged by the French)
- General the Marquis de Montcalm – the French commander-in-chief, referred to by the Hurons and other Indian allies of the French as "the great white father of the Canadas"
- Tamenund – the "Sachem" of the Delaware tribe
Film, television, theatrical and other adaptations
A number of films have been based on the book, which is long - and movies need to be short. Hence numerous cuts, compressions, and inevitable distortions of the book appear in the film versions of 1911, 1920, 1932, 1936 and 1992. The 1920 version directed by Clarence Brown and Maurice Tourneur is well regarded, as is George Brackett Seitz's 1936 film starring Randolph Scott as "Hawk-eye." The 1920 film has been deemed "culturally significant" by the Library of Congress and selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry. The 1992 film by Michael Mann starring Daniel Day-Lewis as "Nathaniel Poe," Madeleine Stowe as "Cora Munro," Russell Means as "Chingachgook," Wes Studi as "Magua" and Eric Schweig as "Uncas" was, according to Mann, based more on the 1936 film version than on Cooper's book.
A number of television movies and serials have also been made, including the 1932 12-chapter motion picture serial starring Harry Carey as "Hawkeye", the 1957 ITC Entertainment series Hawkeye and the Last of the Mohicans starring John Hart as "Nat 'Hawkeye' Cutler" and Lon Chaney Jr. as "Chingachgook," and a 1977 made-for-TV version starring Steve Forrest as "Hawkeye," Ned Romero as "Chingachgook" and Don Shanks as "Uncas."
The British Broadcasting Corporation made an eight chapter TV serial of the book in 1971, which had notable performances from Philip Madoc as "Magua," Kenneth Ives as "Hawkeye," John Abineri as "Chingachgook" and Patricia Maynard as "Cora Munro." This is considered by some people to be the best and most faithful adaptation (presumably there were fewer cuts). This serial popularized the term "Mohican hairstyle" in Britain for what is known as a Mohawk hairstyle in the US, although this hairstyle was actually worn by the Hurons, not the Mohicans, in the serial.
The usual deletions from cinematic versions of The Last of the Mohicans are the extensive sections about the Indians themselves, thus confounding Cooper's purpose. Further, romantic relationships, non-existent or minimal in the novel, are generated between the principal characters, and the roles of some characters are reversed or altered, as are the events.
A children's edition was published in 1962 with illustrations by René Follet.
Influence on later culture
- The Brazilian Band Soulfly named one of their songs "L.O.T.M. (Last of the Mohicans)".
- Ja Rule also has a song called "Last Of The Mohicans," similar to the 1992 movie theme except for the inclusion of a bass beat and original lyrics by Ja.
- M*A*S*H doctor Benjamin Franklin "Hawkeye" Pierce's nickname comes from Cooper's novels. The character claims that the only book his father ever read was The Last of the Mohicans, in other parts he implies that his father had read more but this was his favorite book.
- In 2003, Essendon Football Club coach Kevin Sheedy labelled stalwart ruckman Steven Alessio as "The Last of the Mohicans." [1]
- In The Simpsons, a Mohican explains that the extinction of his people was a myth made up because "Chicks really dig it when you're the last of something."
External links
- The Last of the Mohicans at Project Gutenberg
- The Last of the Mohicans at American Literature
- 1971 BBC adaptation at IMDb
- Lake George Historical Association
- Fort William Henry Museum
- Fort William Henry: The Siege & Massacre
- The Mahican Channel: Forts, Tales, & Legends (information on Fort Edward and Jane McCrea)
- Old Fort Edward driving tour directions
