The Last of the Mohicans Questions The Frontier Experience 1. How is the frontier defined?

Who lives there and why? 2. What are the particular experiences of the frontier settlers? Why might they not see it as in their interests to ally themselves with Britain? 3. How does life on the frontier in this film compare to other colonial experiences you may have learned about (Boston, Philadelphia, Virginia) in textbooks or elsewhere? 4. How does this frontier compare to the typical notion of the Western frontier in the late nineteenth century? 5. What are some twentieth-century frontiers? The Last of the Mohicans Questions Seeds of Revolution 1. What are the motivations for fighting for Britain? 2. How do feelings and allegiances change? How are terms such as loyalty and sedition defined (look up these terms if you are not sure what they mean)? Are they debated? 3. How can we begin to map out here what is to come 20 years down the line in the American colonies? 4. How do Native Americans figure their own interests and allegiances with the British? French? Colonials? 5. How are political arguments about revolution discussed? The Last of the Mohicans Questions What is an American? 1. How are Hawk-eyes loyalties formed?

2. What are his notions of savagery and civilization? What are Coras? Who/What is savage to Hawk-eye, and why? 3. How is Hawk-eyes outlook similar or different to: A. American settlers: B. C. D. English: Mohicans: Hurons:

4. With whom does he most closely identify? Can he be seen as a composite (made up of different elements) character? 5. Who in this film could we classify as an American? Why? What are his/her qualities, characteristics? The Last of the Mohicans Questions Symbols Of Group Identity 1. How is European national identity symbolized in the colonies? 2. How does it visually compare to Native American and Colonial identity? Look at costuming (dress or lack of, wigs, war paint) flags, foodways and rituals: 3. What are the complex ways in which savagery/civilization is depicted?

The Last of the Mohicans Questions Picturing Native Americans 1. What are some stereotypes of The Indian? 2. What is the concept of The Noble Savage?

3. How does this movie rely on or disrupt long-standing visual conventions or stereotypes?