Hawkeye: Hunting and American Romantic Hero

In the movie “Last of the Mohicans” the main character; Hawkeye is a perfect example of an American romantic hero. The ‘’Last of the Mohicans’’ is a based on a book written by James Cooper in 1826. An American romantic hero rejects the established norms set by society and has the self as the center of his world to represent the new ideals of a free man in America. Hawkeye represents an American romantic hero in the “Last of the Mohicans” when he is seen running through the woods hunting a deer, shooting Duncan Haywood while he was getting burned alive, and helping his colonist friends escape from the British fort.

When Hawkeye is running through the woods hunting the deer, he displays that he is young and possesses youthful qualities. The deer is known to be extremely faster and stronger than a human being. Hawkeye still manages to kill the deer. After Hawkeye kills the deer he shows his respect and honors the deer because in his mind, the deer is equal to a human being is. Not only is Hawkeye fast, strong, and intelligent, but also he is innocence and pure of purpose.

Hawkeye displays his innocence and pure of purpose in the movie when he shot Duncan while he was getting burned alive. When Duncan and Cora were being held captive by the Huron Indians, Hawkeye offered himself multiple times to save them. He places their lives in front of his own because he thinks it is the right thing to do. The Huron take Duncan in order for them to release Cora. The Huron Indians begin to burn Duncan alive. Hawkeye runs into the forest and gets a musket from his father. He shoots Duncan in the head. He shoots him because he thinks it was the right thing to do. He did not want Duncan to have a slow painful death. Furthermore Hawkeye also has a sense of honor based not on society’s rules but on some higher principle during the movie.

Hawkeye has a sense of honor based not on society’s rules but on some higher principle when he helps the American colonist leave Monroe’s fort. The colonist wanted to leave Monroe’s fort but the British did not allow them. Hawkeye stepped up and helped them escape. He helped them because they are his friends and wanted to help no matter what the consequences were. The British arrested him and charged him with sedition. When the Huron Indians ambush the British soldiers, Hawkeye fights and helps them even though they had arrested him. Hawkeye helps them because it was the right thing to do. As a result of this, Hawkeye represents and American romantic hero.