Posted by Sarah on August 18, 1998 at 15:35:55:
In Reply to: Re: posted by Elaine on August 18, 1998 at 11:35:12:
: : Very interesting, listening to your discussion (I never read the book, but still.)
: : So, do I understand correctly that Elaine reads the word "cross" as referring to christian cross, while Gayle reads it as "cross-over" of races or "mix"?
: : Petra
: Petra,
: My reference is more than a literal Christian cross. I interpret it as both literal (as in Gayle's "mixed-race") and symbolic
: as representing the whole of Euro-American culture (maybe Anglo-American, to be more specific).
: I think Cooper was typically clever with his "cross" reference. It has an obvious surface meaning, and at the same time perhaps a greater symbolic representation of the great culture clash. Hawkeye/Natty was the man in the middle ...
: Elaine
Yes, he seems to be neither here nor there, not this and not that; some of which is represented by the cross, strangly.
This Cooper fellow was mighty devious in his wording, with multiple implications and meanings... And the Christ-like allegory ... very interesting stuff! I'm sure I'll be plowing through all the books now, to explore and unravel more...
Thanks,
Sarah