Monday, February 20, 2012

Conflict in Mohicans

  • What are the conflicts in The Last of the Mohicans? What types of conflict (physical, moral, intellectual, or emotional)?

5 comments:

  1. There is a trace element of conflict in all four categories. Their is physical with the demanding trials they have to take, the attacks they endure from Magua and the seage of the fort. You also have moral with Magua who wants to tear apart a family for vengence. you get the intellectual because you have the Hawkeye, Uncas and his father always using their outdoors intelect to outsmart the other Indian's to save their friends. Lastly, you have a very high emotional conflict with the stress of getting the women to safty, outside the reach of Magua, the seperation from friends/family who take care of you, and whether or not any of them are going to survive

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  2. The physical conflicts are that all the characters in the book face many hardships but they are still determined to accomplish what they see needs to be done. The conflict is a sense to protect and gain one’s honor. When speaking of physical conflicts the issue that comes to mind is the tension of the cultures of the Native Americans and how the differences cannot be settled while not all Indians are alike.
    Moral conflicts for an example is that Magu wants revenge on Munro and wants to marry his daughter Cora. This man is not loyal to any one side but only accounts for his own worth. The moral conflict or debate is that Magu wants to please his own desires and wishes.
    One of the emotional conflicts in the story is that the Indian cultures are being threatened in terms of their properties being taken away destroying their civilization as they know it. Another emotional conflict was in chapter 32 where Magua and some of his men escape with Cora and are at the edge of a cliff. Cora refuses to continue and Magua wants her to choose between his wigwam and his knife. The drama continues as Magua raises the knife and Uncas leaps after him. While this is taking place, a Huron stabs Cora and Uncas kills Cora’s assailant.

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  3. The conflicts within LOM are plentiful; the physical encompasses the enormous difficulty of the terrain for the whites and the Mohicans trying to escape the Huron’s. The Indians certainly have the upper hand in knowing the land and how to maneuver within it silently to ambush whomever they see fit. Physical also relates to the exhaustion felt by the British and French troops fighting over America with provisions so far from their home countries. The Munro daughters experience physical exhaustion as well enduring the trek to seek their father with Hawkeye, and the fellow Mohicans.
    Moral conflict is evident in the Munro daughters and Duncan in trying to understand the Godless ways of the “savages”. They give glory to God and believe in Christianity while the Mohicans and Huron’s are believers in Nature and their own God like endeavors. Moral conflict occurs for Cora in choosing to die over being the servant and wife of Magua, she realizes that death is far better as it will lead to Heaven as opposed to being a slave. Moral conflict also appears through Hawkeye choosing to save the Munro daughters from the Huron’s; he realizes he has a human duty to see them to safety.
    Intellectual conflict occurs primarily for Hawkeye because he is the individual who has this esteemed intelligence from both perspectives. He is able to see the advantage he has as a white man living as a Mohican in that he can essentially protect himself against rebel tribes as well as the white man.
    Emotional conflict occurs heavily between Duncan’s affection for Alice and hers for him. It is present between Duncan and Hawkeye with adoration and contempt for one another and their chosen lifestyles and beliefs with which neither one completely agree upon. Emotional conflict between Hawkeye and his Mohican family occur by aiding the Munro daughters to safety placing him and his family in the midst of Huron warfare.

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  4. In chapter 12, Hawkeye seems to have some issues with Uncas. It is on page 144 of the edition provided by the school, although I know you may have different editions. Hawkeye says "Uncas, Uncas, your behavior was more like that of a curious woman than of a warrior on the scent." Int he next paragraph, Uncas seems a little ticked. Let's talk about that passage.

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  5. I think Hawkeye was trying to get him to focus. Uncas didn't see it helpful, yet it does tell that Hawkeye is revering to the fact that he was using his emotions rather then his head.

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