The Last of The Mohicans - Style and Themes

Style and Themes

The most well-known theme of Cooper's novel is the sadness which all the characters feel for the vanishing race of Native Americans. When Uncas is slain his father Chingachgook mourns not just the loss of a family member but the extinction of his entire tribe forever.

Another important theme is the role of women in the taming of the frontier. Throughout the novel, Natty refers to Alice and Cora as "the gentle ones" and regards their safety as paramount over all other goals, even vengeance against his hated enemies. Alice and Cora both, in their different ways, attempt to teach the male characters the values of mercy, gentleness, and compassion. The fact that Alice, in particular, is not suited for frontier life is often stressed for humorous effect. Alice asking to be awakened at a "civilized" hour or longing for a "civilized" cup of hot chocolate is meant to amuse but also to draw the reader into the novel's basic conflict.

While Cooper sees the triumph of civilization as inevitable, another recurring theme is how quickly the civilized gives way to the savage in the depths of the untracked wild. When Alice and Cora hear wolves howling nearby for the first time, both of them are initially frightened. But while the gentle, innocent Alice swiftly falls asleep to dream of peaceful meadows, the more adventurous Cora stays awake and listens to the call of the wild, finding it strangely thrilling. Cooper seems to feel that there is a trace of savagery in all humanity, and that few people ever become fully civilized.

Modern readers often find the style of Cooper's novel difficult. The author frequently uses lengthy phrases and words to describe simple actions. After a day of hard travel, the exhausted young ladies are described as "resting" rather than sleeping, and "fatigued" rather than tired. Cooper also devotes lengthy descriptive passages to scenic effects, and also to the appearance of the certain characters, such as the way the sunlight illuminates the gold of Alice's hair.

Cooper often uses more than one name for many of the characters and groups of people. For example, Nathaniel Bumppo refers to himself as Natty. The Mohicans call him Hawkeye, and the French and their Huron allies use the term La Longue Carabine (Long Rifle) for both Bumppo and his rifle, Kildeer. The Iroquois are referred to as the Maquas and the Mingos, the Delaware are also known as the Leni-Lenape.

Another feature is Cooper's detailed and extended descriptions of places—some of which he was familiar with—characters, and events.