Cooper's "Deerslayer": View Of The Native Americans
James Fenimore Cooper was born on September 15, 1789 in Burlington, New
Jersey. He was the son of William and Elizabeth (Fenimore) Cooper, the twelfth
of thirteen children (Long, p. 9). Cooper is known as one of the first great
American novelists, in many ways because he was the first American writer to
gain international followers of his writing. In addition, he was perhaps the
first novelist to "demonstrate...that native materials could inspire significant
imaginative writing" (p. 13). In addition his writing, specifically The
Deerslayer, present a unique view of the Native American's experiences and
situation. Many critics, for example, argue that The Deerslayer presents a
moral ...
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were searching in different
directions for their path" (Cooper, p. 5). Bewley states that this meeting is
symbolic of losing one's way morally, and then attempting to find it again
through different paths. Says Bewley, "when the two men emerge from the forest
into the little clearing we are face to face with... two opposing moral visions
of life which are embodied in these two woodsmen" (cited in Long, p. 121).
Critic Donald Davie, however, disagrees. His contention is that the
plot is poorly developed. "It does not hang together; has no internal logic;
one incident does not rise out of another" (cited in Long, p. 121). But
according to Robert Long, Bewley has a better grasp of the meaning and
presentation of ideas throughout the book. According to Long, although the plot
development may not be "strictly linear," it is still certainly coherent and
makes sense. In addition, Long feels that, as Bewley states, the novel is a way
in and through which Cooper presents moral ...
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restlessness" (Cooper, p. 6). In fact, it is these characteristics of
him that gave him his nickname by which he is called - Hurry Scurry, although
his real name is Henry March. He is described as tall and muscular, the
"grandeur that pervaded such a noble physique" being the only thing that kept
him from looking "altogether vulgar" (p. 6). The Deerslayer's appearance, on
the other hand, contrasts with Hurry's significantly. Cooper indicates that not
only were the two men different in appearance, but also "in character" (p. 6).
A little shorter than Hurry, he was also leaner. In addition, he was not
handsome like Hurry and, says Cooper, he would not have anything ...
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"Cooper's "Deerslayer": View Of The Native Americans." Essayworld.com. March 22, 2008. Accessed April 19, 2024. http://www.essayworld.com/essays/Coopers-Deerslayer-View-Of-Native-Americans/80913.
"Cooper's "Deerslayer": View Of The Native Americans." Essayworld.com. March 22, 2008. Accessed April 19, 2024. http://www.essayworld.com/essays/Coopers-Deerslayer-View-Of-Native-Americans/80913.
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