Comparing The Deerslayer, By James Fennimore Cooper

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Literary traits are like genes, being passed down and changing slightly with each generation, but still reminiscent of the former. This is apparent in stories like “The Deerslayer” by James Fennimore Cooper from the Light Romanticism era and “The Secret Life of Walter Mitty” by James Thurber from the Modernism era. Cooper’s story centers around a white man named Deerslayer, who holds a rifle in his battle against an axe-wielding Native American on a beach. Thurber’s story is about a regular man, Walter Mitty, who is controlled by his wife and uses daydreams to feel empowered. Cooper’s story does not hold much deeper meaning or purpose other than to be entertaining, much like Thurber’s. Both stories contain romantic hero protagonists and simple antagonists, …show more content…

This argument with his wife is short and has no depth; it is simply a husband with poor communication skills and a dominating wife. While Mitty bickers with his wife, Deerslayer faces off against the Native Americans in a physical bout. He readies his rifle and aims “almost without sighting, [then] he fires into the bushes where he knew the savage ought to be” (Cooper). Deerlayer attempts to retaliate, using his wits and quick thinking to lead him to a successful attack. Similar to Mitty in that it is an arbitrary back and forth battle with Deerslayer having the advantage; however, unlike Mitty, Deerslayer’s attack leads to his triumph. Both attempt to defend themselves from their antagonists in different ways. Deerlayer uses his environment as protection from his enemy’s weapons, using the physical world as an escape. Meanwhile, Mitty uses his daydreams as an escape from his overbearing wife, using the imaginary world as a means to be

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