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James Fenimore Cooper was born in Burlington New Jersey in the year 1789. While he was still young, his family moved to Cooperstown New York, which his father founded. James Fenimore spent most of his time as a young boy on the family estates along the shore line. Being surrounded by a beautiful environment, it developed his love for nature. His interest in nature is very well expressed in the books he has written.
James Fenimore Cooper received a very high education because of his family’s wealth. As a junior at Yale University, he was expelled for playing a number of pranks. One of which, included training a donkey to sit in the professor’s chair. After his expulsion, his father suggested that he joined the navy. He was apart of the Navy from 1806-1809.
His numerous years in the navy inspired his many sea stories. Cooper eventually got married and because financially stable after his father’s death. Cooper didn’t always desire to become an author. In fact, his main motivation came from when he was reading another book and decided that he could write something better then what he had just read. After publishing his first novel, he received little success. But, as time went on and he became a more experienced writer he was highly applauded.
Along with many novels, he wrote two short stories in his time as an author. They were called The Lake Gun and Tales of Fifteen. After reading both of these short stories I realized how much the writing styles from 200 years ago have changed. I found that through both of these stories they were very difficult to understand and follow. Thankfully, the versions of the two stories I read came with some explanations as to what the author was really trying to say.
In The Lake Gun, Cooper fully describes the outdoor surroundings and what the water is like. Again, the outdoor environment and the sea waters all reflect from his background of living on the widespread estates and...