What is The Last of the Mohicans?
America: The Story of the USA · Liam Heffernan
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Show Notes
Set in the forests of upstate New York during the French and Indian War, James Fenimore Cooper’s 1826 novel has become one of the most enduring works of early American literature. It helped define the frontier myth, shaped American ideas about Native peoples, and influenced generations of writers, filmmakers, and cultural storytellers.
Today, as we mark its 200th anniversary, we explore its themes, its historical context, and its complicated legacy.
So in this episode, I’m asking… what is The Last of the Mohicans?
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Special guest for this episode:
- Professor Thomas Ruys Smith, a scholar of American literature and culture at the University of East Anglia. His work spans the 19th century, with particular expertise in the intersections of literature, history, and national identity. He has written extensively on American storytelling traditions, frontier mythology, and the cultural imagination of the early United States.
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Highlights from this episode:
02:09 - Standing the test of time
06:21 - America's newfound sense of self
10:36 - The story of The Last of the Mohicans
15:40 - Romanticising colonisation
21:23 - What the frontier means for America
27:09 - White male heroes
31:29 - Native American representations
35:57 - National identity isn't just black and white
40:32 - A more colourful America
47:05 - I'm freakin' Hawkeye
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Additional Resources:
- The Last of the Mohicans — Free eBook
- https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/940
- LitCharts: Themes and Analysis
- https://www.litcharts.com/lit/the-last-of-the-mohicans (litcharts.com in Bing)
- SparkNotes: Summary and Themes
- https://www.sparknotes.com/lit/mohicans/
- Novelguide: Theme Analysis
- https://novelguide.com/the-last-of-the-mohicans/theme-analysis (novelguide.com in Bing)
- Montclair State University: Theme PDF https://cyber.montclair.edu/Resources/B2F9F/501012/ThemeOfLastOfTheMohicans.pdf (cyber.montclair.edu in Bing)
- Encyclopedia Britannica: Cooper Biography
- https://www.britannica.com/biography/James-Fenimore-Cooper (britannica.com in Bing)
- Library of Congress: Cooper Collection
- https://www.loc.gov/collections/james-fenimore-cooper/about-this-collection/ (loc.gov in Bing)
- American Literature: Cooper Overview
- https://americanliterature.com/author/james-fenimore-cooper (americanliterature.com in Bing)
- The Cambridge History of American Literature — Cooper chapter
- https://www.cambridge.org
- Oxford Bibliographies: James Fenimore Cooper
- https://www.oxfordbibliographies.com
- The Cambridge Companion to James Fenimore Cooper
- https://www.cambridge.org
- Playing Indian by Philip Deloria (on Native representation)
- https://www.hup.harvard.edu/books/9780300080674 (hup.harvard.edu in Bing)
- The Invention of the American West by Richard Slotkin
- https://www.amazon.com/Regeneration-Through-Violence-Mythology-1600-1860/dp/0806132290 (amazon.com in Bing)
- National Park Service: French and Indian War Overview
- https://www.nps.gov/articles/000/french-and-indian-war.htm (nps.gov in Bing)
- History.com: French and Indian War
- https://www.history.com/topics/native-american-history/french-and-indian-war (history.com in Bing)
- Native American and Indigenous Studies Association (NAISA)
- https://naisa.org
- Smithsonian NMAI: Native Representation in Literature
- https://americanindian.si.edu (americanindian.si.edu in Bing)
- The White Man’s Indian by Robert Berkhofer
- https://www.amazon.com/White-Mans-Indian-Images-American/dp/0674957867 (amazon.com in Bing)
- Roger Ebert Review of the 1992 Film
- https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/the-last-of-the-mohicans-1992 (rogerebert.com in Bing)
- The New Yorker: Revisiting the Novel
- https://www.newyorker.com/books/page-turner/revisiting-the-last-of-the-mohicans (newyorker.com in Bing)
- BFI: Michael Mann’s Adaptation https://www.bfi.org.uk
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And if you like this episode, you might also love:
How Did Slavery Impact Cherokee Nation?
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