History At It's Best
The French general Montcalm has allied himself with several of the Indian tribes native to America and is moving a large army south in an attempt to take Fort William Henry from the British. Magua, an Indian scout, intercepts the information about the impending attack on the fort and relays it to the British General Webb, to whom he is loyal. Webb decides to send reinforcements to Fort William Henry to help Colonel Munro, who commands the fort. Shortly after the reinforcements leave for Fort William Henry, Webb dispatches the young Major Heyward to accompany Alice and Cora Munro, the colonel's daughters, who insist upon visiting their father. The Indian runner, whose name is Magua, agrees to guide Heyward and the young women to Fort William Henry by means of a shortcut known only to the Indians. Soon after they leave Fort Edward, they meet a stranger. Gamut is a psalmodist, a man who worships by singing Old Testament psalms. The mincing and dainty Gamut is out of place in the menacing forest. He left Fort Edward and lost his way. He announces his intention to join the group. Cora is amused by the stranger. Gamut joins their party and sings a religious song native to New
Hawkeye insists on the thorough whiteness he has inherited, and Chingachgook and his son represent the end of the Mohican line. Amid this sentiment and calm reflection, a strange cry pierces the night. Sometimes the two plotlines converge, as they do when Cora and Uncas's romance begins to bud in the context of war and danger. Gamut sings a sad song in memory of his colt, and the two Mohicans and Hawkeye vanish, as though disappearing into a rock. At the same time, though, Cooper's portrayal of Magua accords with popular, phobic beliefs of his time. After learning that Heyward is the major of the 60th regiment of the king at Fort William Henry, Hawkeye considers punishing Magua for treachery. Uncas slips outside to investigate, but he sees nothing that could have produced the haunting sound. He thinks his suspicions are justified when he learns that Magua is a Huron. Writing in the 1820s, Cooper captures the nation's divided sentiments about President Andrew Jackson's "removal policies," which sought to move Indian groups westward and resulted in widespread genocide. Hawkeye wears a hunting shirt, a skin cap, and buckskin leggings; he carries a knife, a pouch, and a horn. When Hawkeye questions the group, Heyward and Gamut explain that their guide, Magua, has led them away from their desired destination. Sounds in the forest make Magua agitated, and Heyward dismounts and makes a move to capture the guide.
Common topics in this essay:
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Hawkeye Chingachgook,
Chapter VI,
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Fort Edward,
Chingachgook Mohican,
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Acceptance Essays
