Hawkeye – an American Romantic Hero in The Last of The Mohicans

In James Fenimore Cooper’s story, “The Last Mohicans”, Hawkeye proves he is an American romantic hero when he plays lacrosse while readers discuss war, protects Cora and Alice rather than attempting to save his own life, and quests to find his love cora while not letting anything get in his way. An American romantic hero defies the norms of society, and uses self learned knowledge to put others in front of themselves for personal gain. Romantic writers often include a hero, that is seen as courageous and pure hearted. The Last Mohicans is a story that takes place in 1757 during the French and Indian war where the British use the Mohican tribe in an attempt to defeat the french. The French greatly outpower the British and wanted to use hawkeye, who had the best shot in the land. Hawkeye, and his father Uncas throughout the story fight alongside the British, and come across many conflicts throughout the story.

Hawkeye is an American romantic hero as he displays young and possesses youthful qualities. The scene where the Mohicans are playing lacrosse as the British generals attempt to influence the Mohicans to help fight the war against the British during the time period of the French and Indian War. As the older leaders of the tripe discuss with the British generals, Hawkeye is engaging in a game of lacrosse with the other villagers, many who are younger than him. Hawkeye’s actions express his youthful qualities because it proves that Hawkeye enjoys partaking in games for the youth and chooses to have fun in a period of stress and worry for others. Hawkeye is a warrior, but doesn’t care about the politics of war. While Hawkeye expresses his youthful qualities, which some may think to be too much, he carries his sense of honor based not on society’s rules but on some higher principle.

Hawkeye expresses qualities of an American Romantic Hero when he displays his sense of honor based not on society’s rules but on some higher principle. When the British are on the march to the sea they are ambushed by the Huron Indians and the fighting tactic of the Huron tribe proves to be very effective versus the British troops. The Huron kill off nearly every single British troop, and Hawkeye spots Cora and Alice attempting to run away when he kills Cora’s would be murdere. Hawkeye then saves Cora and Alice and escapes the attack with the girls to bring them to safety. The higher principle that Hawkeye follows is to put others in front of himself. Hawkeye had an easy opportunity to run away which would save his own life, but rather chose to risk his life to save Cora and Alice. This shows the respect he has for other people over himself and not following the norm to save yourself before you assist others. While hawkeye shows his sense of honor based on a higher principle, he continually shows throughout the story that he quests for some higher truth in the natural world.

Hawkeye exemplifies an American Romantic Hero when he quests for some higher truth in the natural world. After the Huron attack he leads Alice and Cora to a safe place under the waterfall in order to save their lives. Hawkeye is trying to find a way to save his love and reunite after the Huron Tribe passes through so he jumps off the waterfall after telling Cora “I will find you”. Hawkeye saying this implements his quest to find love in his relationship with Cora. Hawkeye journeys away from Cora to save his life, but his love is the higher truth he is searching for in the world. Searching for a higher truth rather than only saving himself for survival proves the American Romantic Hero quality that Hawkeye possesses. As Hawkeye portrays all of these characteristics throughout the story he becomes the American Romantic Hero he is thought to be.

Hawkeye proves himself to be an American Romantic Hero by using his self learned knowledge and values to put other people before themselves. Hawkeye is young and possesses youthful qualities and he shows this by preferring youthful innocence to educated sophistication. As hawkeye plays lacrosse, he displays these qualities because he chooses to engage in the games rather than discussing the topic of going to war with the adults. Hawkeye also has a sense of honor based not on society’s rules but on some higher principle and he proves this by placing faith in inner experience and the power of imagination. Hawkeye shows these qualities during the Huron attack on the British when he chooses to risk his own life in an attempt to save others. The risk that he takes could easily turn out to be fatal, but he places faith in his experience as a warrior and does everything in his power to save Alice and Cora. Throughout the story Hawkeye quests for some higher truth in the natural world searching for love, and by doing this he shuns the artificiality of civilization and seeks the unspoiled nature. The feeling of love that Hawkeye is seeking proves him to be an American Romantic Hero because he disregards what other people would think in his search for unspoiled love. Hawkeye proves himself to be an American Romantic Hero by placing other people above himself and defying societal norms for the betterment of himself and the people around him.