Deer Slayer Essay

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The True American Hero In James Fenimore Cooper’s novel Deerslayer, he illustrates the idea of an American Hero and shows the qualities that this person must acquire. Through the figure Deerslayer, Cooper creates an archetypal American Hero who depicts the many facets of Cooper’s ideas. Throughout the story Deerslayer always acts properly and bravely in the situations he faces. A figure that illustrates Cooper’s ideas of the ideal American Hero always stands up for justice, though he does not fight when one shouldn’t. Also, Deerslayer exemplifies this mentality by always doing the morally best things for society as a whole. Deerslayer greatly compares to “a seed scattered by the wayside”, just like the early Americans, contributes as a major catalyst in him transforming into the ideal American Hero. He begins his life living with a religious order called the Monrovians, who taught him his moral values before the corruption of the city. Next, he lives with Indians in nature, which shows him how to act strong and survive in the world giving him toughness. Deerslayer starts out just like the Early Americans lost in nature, though just like the great Rousseauian philosophy that nature is good and similar to the Early Americans Deerslayer goes from a lost soul to finding his niche in society. Overall, the origins of Deerslayer play a vital role in him becoming Cooper’s idea of the perfect American Hero, and help him transition into his manhood. Deerslayer’s believes a true man acts with courage, and he does not act as a fool or a coward. For, example Deerslayer only believes a man can kill another man if both sides can fight; this contrasts from the beliefs of Hurry Harry. This shows that Deerslayer symbolizes a true man because he does not act like a frivolous child eager to kill; he has logic and wants justice to prevail. On the hand Harry does not display

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