the last of the romanticists
Whether tracking a dear or fighting off the persistent Huron Indians, Natty Bumpo is the embodiment of the classic romantic hero. Played by Daniel Day-Luis, Natty stays focused on his honor while trying to save the day in The Last of the Mohicans. Typical in all romantic heroes, Natty Bumpo is a young and skilled human being. None can match his agility and grace in battle. When devising a plan or considering options, his innocence and pure of purpose characteristics are defined. His motives are solely based on the concepts of good but many times conflict with society’s rules and principals. Unaffected, Natty does what is right in order to maintain the romantic hero’s higher sense of honor. Natty Bumpo possesses all of the characteristics of a romantic hero. With a tomahawk in one hand, and a levelheaded mind to guide it, Daniel Day-Luis’s character screams youthfulness. When first seeing Natty, he is running through the woods chasing a deer. His movements are swift and clean, clearing brush with one hand and preparing his shot in the other. As the he nears a ridge he gracefully stops aims and fires at the deer running between the trees.