The Last of the Mohicans (Signet
Classics) by James Fenimore Cooper
A True American Classic
The classic tale of Hawkeye-Natty Bumppo-the frontier scout who turned
his back on civilization, and his friendship with a Mohican warrior as they
escort two sisters through the dangerous wilderness of Indian country in
frontier America.
Personal Review: The Last of the Mohicans (Signet Classics) by
James Fenimore Cooper
This is Cooper's masterpiece, especially if you measure by popularity. His
second installment in the Leatherstocking tales does quite a bit to deserve
its reputation. This book was likely written to delve into the backstory of
Natty Bumppo and Chingachgook, the characters that emerged as, by far,
the most interesting ones in Cooper's first Leatherstocking tale ('The
Pioneers').

Due to it's tight pacing, 'The Last of the Mohicans' is easily the best read of
the five Leatherstocking Tales. It is also the most consistently plotted and
paced book of the series because, as a tale of betrayal, flight, captivity,
and frontier warfare, Cooper has a lot less time to indulge in his stately
prose (although you'll still need to use a machete to cut through some mile-
long sentences!).
'The Last of the Mohicans' has all the physical confrontation that makes for
a great adventure story. There are plenty of battles and a pretty
extraordinary level of violence considering the time the book was written
(kids getting murdered, rotting corpses, and plenty of scalps a-flying). The
novel isn't gleefully graphic, but Cooper makes no bones about the
tenuous hold people had on life on the frontier. Considering his usual
penchant for rank sentimentality, he's surprisingly detached about the
violence he depicts in this book. To me this is evidence that he definitely
knew how to shut off the histrionics.
Another reason for the success of the book are the characters.
Leatherstocking (going by Hawkeye here) is in his prime as a hero/scout.
He is authoratative, brave, cunning, and always knows what to do.
Chingachgook is powerful, unpredictable, and savage. However, he takes
a backseat to his son Uncas. While Cooper gives Uncas little dialogue,
Cooper gives us a very clear picture of what makes him a hero and what
motivates him. Cooper's writing, overall, shows an uncharacteristic level of
restraint in this regard.
A bigger surprise was the character of Cora. Generally, Cooper is
incapable of handling female characterization without building a
nauseating shrine to the 'gentle sex.' As a result, it is all the more
refreshing to find Cora outspoken, resolute, and strong. During one
sequence when several characters are imprisoned by the Iriquois, it is she
- not her 'brave male protector' - who remembers to leave a trail in the
forest so they can be rescued.
On the other side of the fence, Le Renard Subtile is the best villian of the
series by a long shot. Even though you hate him, you can't help but
sympathize with him to a certain degree. Cooper skillfully (and without
preaching) uses the tragedy of Indian displacement as Magua's motivation.
Though it's hard not to feel Magua's anger is justified on some level,
Cooper prevents you from rooting for his villian and this creates some
interesting tensions.
As with many of the Leatherstocking tales, victory is bittersweet and is
necessarily a defeat for the wilderness Hawkeye loves. The fate of the
Mohicans clearly foreshadows what Cooper (and the reader) knows will
become of every Native American in this tale (or in real life). Comparing
these charcters to their latter selves in 'The Pioneers' underscores this
very emotionally.

You can definitely enjoy 'The Last of the Mohicans' all by itself and as a
straight-up frontier advernture, but there is more to be found if you read it a
little deeper. It is a book every American should read. NOTE: Please don't
hold the dreadful Daniel Day Louis movie against this book; the two have
little in common beyond their titles.
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