The American Romantic Hero In The Last Of The Mohicans

The American Romantic Hero is a literary archetype referring to a character that rejects established norms and conventions, and has been rejected by society. The 1992 movie, The Last of The Mohicans loosely follows the original book about the journey of Hawkeye and his family as they help Cora and Alice Munro and Colonel Duncan Heyward against Huron war chief, Magua during the French and Indian war. During the movie Hawkeye displays many characteristics that make him an American romantic hero. Through out The Last of The Mohicans Hawkeye exemplifies that his is innocent and pure of purpose, he has a knowledge of people and of life based on deep, intuitive understanding, not on formal learning, and he has has a sense of honor based not on society’s rules but on some higher principle. During the film, Hawkeye proves he possess these characteristics during many scenes including when he helped the colonist escape home, the graveyard scene, and saved the Munro sisters and Duncan.
One of the characteristics Hawkeye possess exhibits is innocence and …show more content…
After Hawkeye, Chingachgook, and Uncas save the Munro sisters and Duncan from the Huron war party, Hawkeye leads then to a Native burial ground to camp for the night. During the nigh a Huron hunting party comes upon them ready to fight but once they realize it is a burial ground they fall back and leave. Hawkeyes purposefully chose to camp on the burial ground because he knew the Hurons would not set foot on the ground for spiritual reasons. Hawkeye’s knowledge of how tribal spirituality and superstition works saved their group for the night. His knowledge could not be taught in school further proving he has knowledge of people and life based on intuitive understanding and not formal learning, also proving he holds the characteristics of an American Romantic