Cooper's "The Prairie" Help

[Smeagol3]

I'm working on a paper and was wondering if someone could point me to to some relevant passages/chapters/pages in James Fennimore Cooper's "The Prairie."

How does Cooper depict Native American responses to white presence, settlement, and "encroachment" (squatting) on the prairie?

Thanks!

[keilj]

I'm working on a paper and was wondering if someone could point me to to some relevant passages/chapters/pages in James Fennimore Cooper's "The Prairie."

How does Cooper depict Native American responses to white presence, settlement, and "encroachment" (squatting) on the prairie?

Thanks!

My advice would be to kick any teacher who assigns ANYTHING by Fennimore Cooper in the crotch

[PeterL]

I think that keilj's comment is a bit extreme in tone, but Cooper was a horrible writer. I can't imagine anyone reading anything by him except one of the Deerslayer books. What kind of a course is this for? If it is a writing course and this was presented as what not to write, then it would make some sense.

[Smeagol3]

It's a class on the history of the American frontier from 1776-1860, but it's taught through the English department. We read writings from the period to get a general idea of the history.

Cooper is definitely the worst author I've ever read.

This paper only has to be around 2 pages, so just one or two solid examples would help.

[PeterL]

Did you read the book? If you did, then just flip through until you see something.

[dfloyd]

his novel about John Paul Jones, 'The Pilot'. There are always some detractors of any particular author on this forum, whether it be someone who hasn't progressed as a reader far enough to read with intelligence works outside his own time period or someone who can't relate to a particular national history. I suggest that those who think Cooper is a bad writer examine their own capabilities, rather than Cooper's. I just finished reading this year a copy of 'The Prarie' and followed it with 'the Spy'. These books may have some older, stilted language, but they paint periods of American history which have never been better depicted by another American author. Cooper is rightly placed in the pantheon of Melville, Irving, Hawthorne, and a few others who give us a glimpse of what America was like in its early years.

[Drkshadow03]

I think that keilj's comment is a bit extreme in tone, but Cooper was a horrible writer. I can't imagine anyone reading anything by him except one of the Deerslayer books. What kind of a course is this for? If it is a writing course and this was presented as what not to write, then it would make some sense.

By the Deerslayer books, do you mean one of the Leather-stocking tales? And The Prairie is one of the Leather-stocking tales.

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Also, to the original poster, if you actually read the book the answer to your question would be obvious. The whole conflict of the story centers on the Native American response to white encroachment.

[PeterL]

By the Deerslayer books, do you mean one of the Leather-stocking tales? And The Prairie is one of the Leather-stocking tales.

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Also, to the original poster, if you actually read the book the answer to your question would be obvious. The whole conflict of the story centers on the Native American response to white encroachment.

I erred. I had never heard of it before.

[keilj]

his novel about John Paul Jones, 'The Pilot'. There are always some detractors of any particular author on this forum, whether it be someone who hasn't progressed as a reader far enough to read with intelligence works outside his own time period or someone who can't relate to a particular national history. I suggest that those who think Cooper is a bad writer examine their own capabilities, rather than Cooper's. I just finished reading this year a copy of 'The Prarie' and followed it with 'the Spy'. These books may have some older, stilted language, but they paint periods of American history which have never been better depicted by another American author. Cooper is rightly placed in the pantheon of Melville, Irving, Hawthorne, and a few others who give us a glimpse of what America was like in its early years.

I didn't mean to single out Cooper. There are several other writers who I was subjected to by high school and college teachers that merit the "crotch kick" rating

[Drkshadow03]

I didn't mean to single out Cooper. There are several other writers who I was subjected to by high school and college teachers that merit the "crotch kick" rating

Like who? :reddevil:

[dfloyd]

I was out of high school several years before I could pick up a work by Dickens or Shakespeare. Incompetent teachers ruined them for me. Finally, in college, I had a teacher who got me on the right track. I have read all the novels of Dickens and the plays of Shakespeare. Unfortunately, many high school teachers are just one page ahead of their students and assign rediculous work. I was made to realize that certain classic works weren't at fault, but the teachers I had were the epitome of incompetence. Their presentation of great literature was abysmal.

[Smeagol3]

I realize that Cooper is probably a brilliant author, but I just can't get into his writing style.
For this class, we don't actually have time to read it. My professor just told us to kind of skim through and pick out relevant information.
He also said he's never made it through the book, because it gets too boring. Seems weird for a guy with a Ph.D in Literature.

[PeterL]

I realize that Cooper is probably a brilliant author, but I just can't get into his writing style.
For this class, we don't actually have time to read it. My professor just told us to kind of skim through and pick out relevant information.
He also said he's never made it through the book, because it gets too boring. Seems weird for a guy with a Ph.D in Literature.

No, you don't have to apologize for not liking Cooper. He was the epitome of poor writing as far as Mark Twain was concerned. Twiain skewered Cooper in "Fenimore Cooper's Literary Offences"
http://www.gutenberg.org/files/3172/3172.txt

The professor's experience with Cooper is typical. There are places in Cooper's writing where it seems like it's pretty good, then it will unravel.

[dfloyd]

you are a good teacher. I've known several PhD's who couldn't get through The Iliad, let alone conquer Joyce's Ulysses. I stick to my opinion: Cooper's 'Leatherstocking Tales' are all worth reading, maybe more so to an American than another nationality.

It seems to me, that this novel was picked by the department head and the teaching professor had no choice but to include it in the course curriculum. It is the next to last of the Leatherstocking Tales, and Natty Bumpo is by now an old man. While these novels can be read out of sequence, it doesn't seem logical to choose this one to read in a survey course.

I have been to Cooperstown, NY where the Cooper Manse is. The town is situated near a lake which is the Lake Glimmerglass in The Deerslayer. This part of upstate NY is probably the closest area which is akin to what the forests of America were like in the pre- revolutionary times. Cooperstown is best known for the Baseball Hall of Fame which is situated there.

I beg to say,that it is not Cooper's style which throws you off, it is the fact that your reading ability is not up to par, and your professor's denigrating the novel doesn't help any. You would probably be having the same problems with Hawthorne, Melville, or Irving.

I have read Twain's humorous attack on Cooper, and found it quite funny. But Twain, who wrote some pretty good novels, also wrote some duds for which he was nearly run out of New England by Emerson, Longfellow, et al. One of these being a treatise on Elizabeth Regina, Walter Raleigh, and other Elzabethan notables having a farting contest.

[mtpspur]

I would encourage anyone to read at LEAST The Deerslayer (my favorite) and Last of the Mohicans. The Pioneers was least favorite mostly as I dislike heroes in decline stories fully realizing that was probably the point of the book. To be honest Cooper is rough on the reading and takes perseverance and determination. I have read Twain's critique as well and wonder if deep inside he was jealous he oculdn;t write about forests that well. The Prairie tends to unwind at a lesisurely pace and the surprise reveal is not so astonishingl as it may have been when first published. I suspect raders of today miled on quick resolutions filtered with commercials and movie adaptations will have trouble taking the TIME it needs to fully appreciate one of the foundiong authors if American literature. Just saying.

[keilj]

Like who? :reddevil:

Faulkner
The Bronte sisters (I think Twain described their books as chloroform in print)

there are more, but I'll stop there :hand:

[Drkshadow03]

Faulkner
The Bronte sisters (I think Twain described their books as chloroform in print)

there are more, but I'll stop there :hand:

Heh. Some of my favorite authors!

[keilj]

Heh. Some of my favorite authors!

ha. actually I've only tried As I Lay Dying and one other by Faulkner. I have a buddy who was a lit major who absolutely loves Faulkner.

[bluosean]

I dont think that is a very good book to assign for a class (especially if you were told to skim). In the end you probably wont come away with much from it. I havent read the book but I have read The Last of the Mohicans, The Pathfinder, and The Deerslayer (the last of the mohicans and the pathfinder were really good and I liked them more than the Deerslayer). I like these three books a lot and Im going to read The Prairie soon. My idea is that its a book that you have to have to read all the way through, and its good if you have some interest. Cooper isnt that hard but you have to be paying attention when you read.

I have read Mark Twains essay as well. I liked it a lot. But I dont like Twain. He also wrote something like "a library without anyting by Jane Austen in it is a good library even if it contains no other volumes". But there is evidence to suggests that he liked her books (I read an essay on that once). Twain is just like that. Im not saying that he liked Cooper but he had fun making fun of great authors. Twain was also an Indian hater and Cooper was sympathitic to Indians. Anyway, its a good essay (well written and very funny), but dosent take anything away from Cooper as a writer. And, similarly to what darkshadow said eariler, even the best authors have flaws, and Cooper is not exempt.

[bluosean]

Sorry I couldnt help with the assignment. Like I said, I havent read it yet. And probably it was already due?