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This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. What does the Huron chief want Heyward to do about an evil spirit in a tribal woman?

2. What is Magua really after?

3. How does Uncas disguise himself to escape?

4. Who shows up at the Delaware camp with open arms?

5. Why do the Huron allow David to come and go?

Short Essay Questions

1. How are Cora and Uncas honored in death?

2. What is Heyward warned about?

3. What ruse do Heyward and Hawkeye use to confuse the Delaware?

4. What happens that night as the five men stay in the ruins of Fort Henry?

5. Describe the negotiations with Magua to get the release of Cora.

6. What strange event occurs as Heyward is led to a cave to perform medicine cures for a woman possessed of an evil spirit?

7. How do the men locate the trail of the Iroquois in hopes of finding Cora and Alice?

8. Describe how Magua gains entry into the Delaware village.

9. What does Heyward discover about the bear after everyone else leaves the cave?

10. Describe the war dance in the Delaware camp.

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Write an essay on the literary glamorization of the American Indian. Use examples of Cooper's descriptions of Indian customs that extol a high ethical standard. Include the representations of Indian bravery as a prerequisite to manhood.

Essay Topic 2

Write an essay on preconceptions in THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS. Although Cooper attempts to show nobility in the native American, define how only the ones friendly to the English come across as noble. In your opinion, how much actual research went into writing about the Huron, the Delaware, and the Mohicans. Include the fact that Cooper's novels were not only popular in America but they were also well received in Europe. To what extent does this novel contribute to public preconceptions about native Americans?

Essay Topic 3

Write an essay about the power of fiction to influence public opinion. Use Cooper's novel to speculate how it might have enhanced prejudice against native Americans. Include the fact that at the time Cooper's novels were being published, there was a serious push to displace native Americans to reservations and land areas that no one else wanted. Gen. George Custer was born 10 years after the publication of THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS. [Note: this essay is entirely different from the preceding one.]

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This section contains 787 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample