American author.

Fenimore Cooper

(1789-1851)

Fenimor Cooper was a 19^th century American writer. His works belong to the trend of romanticism in literature. He was the first American novelist to reflect the history of his country. 

Cooper was the son of a rich land owner. He was born in New Jersey, but the family moved to the state of New York when he was still a baby. When he was 13 he entered Yale University. In his 3^rd year he failed in his exams and had to leave the university. At the age of 17^th he went to see and spent 6 years as a sailor and later an as a officer. In 19911 he left the sea when he married Susan Augusta. For some years he lived on his estate and there he started writing novels. His 1^st novel was about the English family, it wasn't a great novel. His 2^nd novel "spy" was a historical novel. In 1921 he went to Europe. He wanted to give his children a good education. Together with his wife he traveled much and visited many countries. He wrote many books about this travels. When Cooper returned to the United States he began writing his famous Leather Stocking novels: "The Pioneers", "The Last of …" and some other. The main character of all this novels is Leather Stoking as he was called by the Indians. He was a white man, a hunter named Natty Bumppo. He was gust and kind though he was an ordinary man with very little education he knew much about forest life. He referred to live in the woods.

He was friendly with Indians. When he became old he joined an Indian tribe and died there.

"The last of the Mohicans" is the 2^nd of Fenimor Cooper's books about leather Stacking. It describes North America in the 18^th cent when it was colonized by Europeans. The book tells much about the life and traditions of the Indians. The author shows that Indians, like white men, could be both good a bad. The title of the novel gives the readers quite a definite understanding about the fate of the North-American Indians.

The coming of the white men brought death to them. The main character of the novel is a young Indian, Uncas. It is he that is the last of his tribe, the Mohicans. Natty Bumppo is given here under the name of Hawk-Eye.