Posted by ann on July 27, 1998 at 10:57:17:
In Reply to: Re: Do we Really Hate Magua??? posted by Gayle on July 27, 1998 at 10:12:56:
: Ann,
: Really good rumination on the relations of the characters and American history! Putting aside the requirement of every good adventure story to have a villain, Cooper gave us Magua as an example of an Indian who had been evicted from his own tribe because of his traitorous tendencies and who was useful to Montcalm for those very tendencies. Magua was an Indian who had no loyalties to anyone but himself. He hated everybody equally. Therefore he could be bought by the highest bidder for acts of treachery by Indians or white men alike. Others in the book, such as Chingachgook, suffered equal insults and injuries, but maintained a sense of dignity and principle and rose above it all. Magua just kept digging himself in deeper. An attitude like his makes him useful to the unprincipled, but hardly inspires empathy or respect for him as a human being.
: Gayle
Hi Gayle, You just have to be an English Lit. teacher......am I right?....your in-depth character studies sound as though "Last of the Mohicans" has been under your microscope before the movie?
Magua's life history, the title of the book/movie, the talk of Indian allies for English, French all inspired me after viewing LOTM to do more research on native americans. Can't say that I personally feel any responsibility for the shameless way they've been treated since Europeans first set foot in No. America; since my ancestors were busy struggling with the same kind of unjust domination by the English in Ireland at the time. As a matter of fact, being a resident of The Keystone State, have been rather proud that William Penn seems to have been the only European who handled his dealings with our Native Americans with integrity. Haven't given much thought to this particular chapter of U.S. history before--it has become a fascinating subject for me since viewing LOTM....ann