James Fenimore Cooper (1789-1851): The Last of the Mohicans (1826)

I. Miming: Indian Sign Language (5 minutes)

Choose 3 Indian signs and use at least one of them to mime a sentence to your partner.

II. Warm-up: listen to the epic music and fill in the missing words (10 minutes)

married, land, daughters, rescued, forts, France, Magua, wed, Hudson, medicine man, Mohicans,
friends, the last of the Mohicans, Hawk-Eye, Fort William Henry

It is the year 1757. Armies from England and ………….. are fighting in North America. 1 Both
countries want the …………….. Some of the Indian tribes who lived near the ……….. River
were the Mohawks, Hurons and ……………….. The English and French soldiers built strong
……….. to live in. In this story, the Hurons are fighting for the French. The Mohawks are
fighting for the English.
General Munro was the commander of the English army at Fort William Henry 2. General Munro
had two …………., Cora3 and Alice. This novel tells of the adventures of the white scout
………………. … and his two Mohican friends, Uncas and Chingachgook. They lead Cora and
Alice Munro through the wilderness to their father at…………………...4 They were fighting
with the Hurons. The French had already been shooting at Fort William Henry when the
company safely arrived at the fort. So, three thousand English people - soldiers, women and
children - left the fort and walked into the forest. Then, two thousand Indians attacked them in
the forest. ……………, one of the Hurons who hated the English, abducted Alice and Cora.
Mague wanted to ………… Cora seeking revenge. Three days had passed. Fort William Henry
had burnt down. The French soldiers had gone. The Indians had gone. The bodies of many
English soldiers, women, and children lay on the ground. Munro, Duncan, Hawk-eye,
Chingachgook, and Uncas were looking for Cora and Alice. Duncan, dressed as a French
……………….., and Hawk-Eye in a bear’s skin went to the Huron’s village. Uncas was caught,
but Duncan and Hawk-eye ………… Alice and Uncas. Then they went to the Delawares' village,
where Cora was held captive. Since the Delawares and the Mohicans were ………………, the
former helped the latter against the Hurons. In the fight, the Hurons killed Cora and Unca,
……………………………. Hawk-Eye killed Magua. After the funeral, Hawk-eye and
Chingachgook walked away into the forest. Alice ……………… Duncan Heyward and they
lived happily together.5
Song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c5Sy-tODTJU
1
In eastern Canada and in the area of modern New York State.
2
located at the south end of Lake Horican
3
Cora’s mother was part “Negro,” which explains her dark complexion and raven hair. Munro accuses Heyward of
racism because he prefers to marry blonde Alice over dark Cora, but Heyward denies the charge.
4
Soon they are joined by David Gamut, a singing master and religious follower of Calvinism.
5
Tamenund sorrowfully declares that he has lived to see the last warrior of the noble race of the Mohicans.
III. Still image and thought bubbles – in groups of 5 (15 minutes)
Choose a scene from the novel and create a live photo of it. Make up a sentence that you can say
if the groupmates need help to guess your scene.

“The Last of the Mohicans”

The recurring description of Uncas as “the last of the Mohicans” symbolizes the death of Indian
culture at the hands of the encroaching European civilization. The title anticipates the ultimate
tragedy of the novel’s plot. Although the title specifically refers to Uncas, it also alludes to a
larger historical event: the genocidal removal of the Indians by President Andrew Jackson’s
policies of the 1830s. The phrase “the last of the Mohicans” laments the extermination of the
ways of life native to America.

IV. Discussion in groups of 3 (10 minutes)

 Theme: Interracial Love and Friendship
Cooper suggests that interracial mingling is both desirable and dangerous. He also shows his conviction
that interracial romances are doomed and undesirable.
Find examples for his suggestions. Also, justify your opinion on interracial love and friendship.

 Theme: Literal and Metaphorical Nature

Nature is the physical frontier that surrounds the characters and complicates their battles and their chances
for survival. Metaphorically, Cooper defines characters by their relationships to nature.
Find examples for these relationships and depictions.

 Theme: The Changing Idea of Family

Cooper posits that the wilderness demands new definitions of family.
Find examples for likely family formations.

 Theme: Hybridity
Hybridity is the mixing of separate elements into one whole: nature and culture intersect, two races
intersect. Who are the so-called hybrid characters and why?

V. What is the moral of the story?

Interracial mingling is both desirable (beneficial) and dangerous (with some disadvantages). It is
all about the importance of finding balance in every field of life and about the importance of
recognizing every society’s value and importance.

VI. Extra activity – Explain the following quotations (class work)