最后的莫西干人英文读后感(2)

MyAppreciationoftheLastoftheMohicansAsoneof“TheLeather-stockingTales”,TheLastoftheMohicanscreatesanAmericanhero-mythbythenameofHawkeye.Inthisnovelheisportrayedasaperfectexampleofthewesternman,shapedbytheforestinwhichhelivesandbrokenawayfromthefalsityofcivilization.Heistheembodimentofbasichumanvirtueslikekindness,wisdom,braveryandrusticchivalry.HisIndiancompanion,theMohicanchiefChingachgook,isCooper’sidealofthenaturalman,whosenativeintelligence,loyaltyandbrotherlylovearenottaintedbycivilization.Besidesvividcharacterization,thisnovelisfullofbloodandfight,setindescriptiveimagesofthebeautyofnaturereminiscentofSirWalterScott.Whatismore,Ithinkthatrepetition,oppositionsandcontrastsaboundinthenovel.Repetitionexistsmostobviouslyintheplotdeviceofthetrapandescapeofthecharacterswhileoppositionsshowthemselvesmainlyinthenumerousfrontierclashes:FrenchagainstEnglish,IndiansagainstIndiansandagainstwhites,MaguaagainstHawkeye’sparty.Themostimportantandcontrollingoppositioninthenovelarebetweenevilandgood.Astocontrasts,themostappealingoneisthatbetweentheconditionofnatureandtheconditionofhumans.Inaddition,afterreadingthisnovel,Ifindtwothemesfromit.Thefirstoneis“interracialloveandfriendship”.TheLastoftheMohicansisaboutraceandthedifficultyofovercomingradicaldivides.Coopersuggeststhatinterracialminglingisbothdesirableanddangerous.CooperlaudsthegenuineandlongtimefriendshipbetweenHawkeye,awhiteman,andChingachgook,aMohicanIndian.HawkeyeandChingachgook’ssharedcommunicationwithnaturetranscendsrace,enablingthemtoteamupagainstHuronenemiesandtosavewhitemilitaryleaderslikeHeyward.Ontheotherhand,though,coopershowshisconvictionthatinterracialromancesaredoomedandundesirable.TheinterracialloveofUncasandCoraendsintragedy,andtheforcedinterracialrelationshipbetweenCoraandMaguaisportrayedasunnatural.ThroughCora,coopersuggeststhatinterracialdesirecanbeinherited.Thesecondoneis“thechangingideaoffamily”.Cooperusesthefrontiersettingtoexplorethechangingstatusofthefamilyunit.Cooperpositsthatthewildernessdemandsnewdefinitionsoffamily.UncasandHawkeye,forexample,formamakeshiftfamilystructure.WhenUncas’srealfather,Chingachgook,disappearswithoutexplanationinthemiddleportionofthenovel,HawkeyebecomesasymbolicfatherforUncas.AsUncasdevelopshisleadershipqualitiesandemergesasaheroattheDelawarecouncilofTamenund,hetakesonsomeofthecharismaandskillofHawkeye,justasasonwouldinheritbehaviorfromhisfather.NotonlydoUncasandHawkeyeformafamilynotrelatedbyblood,theyformafamilythattranscendsrace.Despitethisredefinition,however,thenoveldosenotallownewfamilyformationsthatmixrace,forUncasandCoradonottogettoactontheirinterracialattraction.ThetragedyofthissentimentalnovelisthatCoraandUncascannotredefinethenotionoffamilyaccordingtotheirdesires.Allinall,Cooper’sstyleinthisnovelisplainandstraightforward.Hisluciddescriptionofnatureoftenachievesapoeticsimplicity.ThetragicironyisthatthelastoftheMohicans,symbolicallyrepresentthelastofadyingIndianculture,includingnotonlytheMohicansbutalltheIndiantribes—dispersed,dividedandultimatelydestroyedbythecomingoftheEuropeans.