Last of the Mohicans by James Fenimore Cooper - Book Report/Review Example

This is Natty Bumpoo also known as Hawkeye and Chingachgook. Chingachgook is the last of the Mohican chiefs, and his name means the mighty serpent. Hawkeye is a woodsman, a scout, and a hunter. He is a cultural hybrid and provides a link between whites and Indians (Cooper 42). Hawkeye even pledges to stick with Chingachgook in friendship when he laments that he is alone because his son is no more. They watch their friend’s backs, and Hawkeye takes care of Chingachgook’s son Uncas when he disappears (Cooper 60).

            Hawkeye and Chingachgook are cunning, brave, and strong. Chingachgook is a man who is capable in battle and remains dignified even in the most dangerous situation. Cooper records how repeatedly when attacked; Chingachgook helps lead Mohicans to safety. He leads their group to a cave, and they avoid capture by Munro (Cooper 53). He also gets referred to as the Great Snake because of his crafty intelligence. Hawkeye is also a brave and strong man throughout the plot.

Cooper describes him as a strongly built hunter with a fearsome reputation amongst his Indian enemies who refer to him as the long rifle. Hawkeye’s cunning plan to disguise himself as an Indian medicine man in bearskin is the one that leads to the freeing of Alice from the Huron village.             Cooper highlights the crucial difference between the two.  In spite of their friendship, Hawkeye is a white man, and Chingachgook is a Mohican Indian (Cooper 22).

Cooper exploits the differences in culture between the two throughout his book as he brings out the happenings within the cultural intersect. His story gets built around two people from two different cultures who in spite of their differences join forces to fight Magua. Despite the great friendship between them, Cooper keeps reminding us throughout the plot that one is white, and the other is an Indian.             The last of the Mohicans is a captivating story that Cooper builds around these two strong characters.

He exploits their similarities and differences to carry the plot to the end. The fact that they are loyal, cunning, and strong characters pairs them up perfectly in the story. Cooper shows how similar this two are to the extent that when Chingachgook disappears without explanation Hawkeye becomes a symbolic father for Uncas. He develops skill and charisma from Hawkeye just as a son would develop behavior from his father. Cooper has built his story around these two characters.