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. October 18, 2008. Accessed April 24, 2024. http://www.essayworld.com/essays/Coopers-Deerslayer-View-Of-Native-Americans/91641.
"Cooper's "Deerslayer": View Of The Native Americans." Essayworld.com. October 18, 2008. Accessed April 24, 2024. http://www.essayworld.com/essays/Coopers-Deerslayer-View-Of-Native-Americans/91641.
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