Type of literary work: Historical Novel
             The theme of this novel is the willpower to achieve one's goal, or in this case, the American dream. The characters are very strong and show a lot of fortitude in accomplishing their goals. They go through very tough and adverse times, but they refuse to accept defeat. These are the foundations upon which America was built. No matter what happens they continue to fight for their natural, God-given, rights, as defined in the Constitution. Through hardships of their own, they hope to earn their land, houses, animals, and their material possessions necessary to live their lives. They do this in order to make life easier and more beautiful for themselves and their children.
             Lana and Gil are good examples of this theme. When they are first married, they have nothing but a cow, a few pieces of furniture, a peacock feather, which symbolizes the entity of this dream. This is all eventually lost in the war, but by the end of the novel, Gil is farming on his own land, has built a new house, and owns a yoke of oxen. Lana has her two boys, a baby daughter, and she later reclaims her feather. They are both now satisfied with the lives they are living, and Lana goes on to say,We?ve got this place?We?ve got the children?We?ve got each other. Nobody can take those things away. Not any more.? This is the statement that provides which they have accomplished their goals, and it finalizes their contentment.
             The novel is set in the eighteenth century during the time of the Revolutionary War. Such characters live in a very hostile environment. Instead of focussing on the huge impact of the war, the author shows how the times affected the farmers and residents of the Mohawk Valley in upstate New York. This is where the novel takes place. There are constant invasions, which devastate the residents of the valley. They are very detrimental to the attempts made at farming. It is hard for the set...