JamesFenimoreCooper'.pptx

JAMES FENIMORE COOPERJunsongChenPh.D.DepartmentofEnglishEastChinaNormalUniversityEmail:JamesFenimoreCooper(1789-1851)JamesFenimoreCooperHelegallyaddedhismothersmaidenname“Fenimore”tohisoriginalnameJamesCooperBornonSept.15,1789inBurlington,NJ,alittlemorethanfivemonthsafterGeorgeWashingtontookofficeasPresidentThetwelfthofthirteenchildreninthefamily(oneofonlyseventosurvivechildhood)Coopersfather,WilliamCooper,wasareligiousman,ashrewdlanddeveloper,andawillingpublicservant.HewasselectedasthefirstjudgeofthecourtforOtsegoCounty,NY,andservedasthecountys4thand6thU.S.Congresses.JamesFenimoreCooper(1789-1851)JamesCooper,decidedbyhissternfather,wassenttoreceivethebesteducation.AttendedYaleUniversityin1803,butwassenthomeduetohisneglectofstudiesHisfatherdeterminedthatacareerintheNavywouldgivehissonthedisciplineheneeded;JamesservedasasailorfornearlyayearaboardtheStirling.OnJan.1,1808,JamesservedintheU.S.NavyasamidshipmanstationedatFortOswegoonLakeOntario.MarriedSusanAugustaDeLanceyafterhisfatherdied,andresignedhisnavypost,andsettleddowninCooperstownasagentlemanfarmer.Cooper:From Farmer to AuthorCooper,alwaysanavidreader,becamedisgustedbythepoorqualityofaBritishnovelhewasreadingand,hurlingitacrosstheroom,declaredthathecouldwriteabetterone.Hiswifebluntlystatedherdoubtsandchallengedhimtodoso.Coopers Literary CareerCooperpublishedhisfirstnovel,Precautionin1820athisowncost.HeusedthenovelsofJaneAustenashisguide,butthisnovelturnedouttobeadisappointment.CooperusedtheenormouslypopularhistoricalromancesofSirWalterScottashismodelforhissecondnovel,butmadeituniquelyhisownanduniquelyAmerican.TheSpy;ATaleoftheNeutralGround(1821),hissecondnovel,isconsideredthefirstAmericanhistoricalnovel.ThesuccessofhissecondnovelpromptedCoopermovehisfamilytoNYCin1822.Forthenextfiveyears,heenjoyedthelifeofaliterarycelebrity.The Leather Stocking Tales1.The Pioneers(1823)2.The Last of the Mohicans;A Narrative of 1757(1826)3.The Prairie(1827)4.The Pathfinder(1840)5.The Deerslayer(1841)MiscellaneousWorksSeaStoriesThePilot;ATaleoftheSea(1824)TheRedRover(1828)HistoricalNovelsTheSpy(1821)LionelLincoln;or,TheLeaguerofBoston(1825)SocialCriticismALettertoHisCountrymen(1834)TheAmericanDemocrat(1834)Natty BumppoNattyBumppo,Coopersmostfamouscreation,nickednamedLeather-StockingbytheTempletonsettlersWithhisfriend,JohnMohegan,aDelawarewhohaslostnotonlyhislandbutalsohisIndianname,chingachgook,representsalldispossessedAmericanIndians.Civilizationvs.wilderness.An American Author in EuropeForimprovinghishealthandabettereducationforhischildren,CoopertravelledtoEuropein1826.ResidedinParis,buttravelledtoEngland,Italy,Switzerland,Holland,andBelgium.BefriendedwithaFrenchherooftheAmericanRevolutiontheMarquisdeLafayette.Completedtwonovels:ThePrairie(1827)andTheRedRover(1827).InvolvedinEuropeanissues,andwroteseriousarticlesaboutEuropeanpolitics,detachedfromhisAmericanreadersReturn to His OriginsReturnedtoNewYorkwithhisfamilyin1833MovehisfamilybacktohisboyhoodhomeCooperstownCompletedA Letter to His Countrymen(1834-35)TheMonikins(1845),asatireBasedonhisobservationsinEurope,hewroteasharplywordedattackonAmericanpoliticsandprovincialism,The American Democrat(1838)Hisfinalnovelsconcernwithsuchend-of-lifethemesasconversionexperiences,inTheOakOpenning;or,TheBee-Hunter(1848)Reputation CoopersreputationhaswaxedandwanedovertheyearsOncethemostpopularauthorinAmericaandEurope,heisrarelyfoundonanyschoolsrecommendedreadinglistinatimeofculturalsensitivityandpoliticalcorrectnessHewasridiculedbyMarkTwainin“FemimoreCoopersLiteraryOffenses”butrecognizedasamajorliteraryfigureinD.H.LaurencesStudiesinClassicAmericanLiterature(1923).HisinnovativeuseoftheseaasasettinggreatlyinfluencedHermanMelvilleandJosephConradHistalesofalarger-than-lifeheroandhisnobleIndiancompanionfindtheirimitationsacenturyandahalflaterThe Last of the Mohicans(1826)The Last of the Mohicans(1826)Thesecondbookofthe Leatherstocking Tales,isahistoricalnovel.Thestorytakesplacein1757,duringtheFrenchandIndianWar(theSevenYearsWar),whenFranceandtheGreatBritainbattledforcontroloftheNorthAmericancolonies,andhasbeendescribedasthe“firstWorldWar.”Duringthewar,theFrenchcalledonalliedNativeAmericantribes(theIndians)tofightagainstthemorenumerousBritishcolonists.ThenovelwasoneofthemostpopularinEnglishinitstime,andremainswidelyreadinAmericanliteraturecourses.About the TitleThecharacterChingachgookspeaksalinethatholdsthetitle,saying,“WhenUncasfollowsinmyfootsteps,therewillnolongerbeanyofthebloodofthesagamores,formyboyisthelastoftheMohicans.”Thetitleisalsoreferredtoneartheendofthebook,whenTamenundsays,“IhavelivedtoseethelastwarriorofthewiseraceoftheMohicans.”TheLastoftheMohicans(1992)enemiesChingachgook last chief of the Mohican tribeUncasMaguaa Huron chief driven from his tribe the colonies of British AmericaNew FranceNative American(1754-1763)enemiesFort HenryCoraMunroMagua(Huron)aslaughterofacolonialgarrison（卫戍部队）afictionalkidnappingoftwosistersFort EdwardFort HenryThick ForestHudson RivercolonelMunroCoraMunroMajorHeywardMagua(Huron)Fort EdwardFort HenryThick ForestHudson RivercolonelMunroHawkeyeCoraMaguaMajorHeywardAliceUncasChingachgookFort EdwardFort HenryThick ForestHudson Rivercolonel MunroFrencharmyGeneralWebbAliceMagua CoraUncasChingachgook the last one of the Mohicans slaughter