Wild West

In the myth of the West, there is a prominent convention stating that the main character of any literary piece must represent the "classic" Western hero. These heroic figures share several unique characteristics and abilities that make them stand out in Western culture. Whether or not the author of a Western novel decides to portray the hero in this particular way is up to them, because after reading just a few novels on the West, it is clear that the protagonist can differ from the stereotypical Western hero. The beauty of literature is how authors can write about similar characters; yet create such a distinction between the two. Two novels influenced by the myth of the West, The Last of the Mohicans and Shane share this distinction among characters.

In order to define the classic Western hero, one must look at similar qualities that each figure shares. Leadership is probably the most obvious characteristic that Hawkeye and Shane display throughout each novel. In Jack Schaefer's novel, Shane begins working for Joe Starrett at his farm. Although Shane is following Joe's orders, Shane is still able to display leadership qualities by "taking the reins" of the farm, and doing all of the work necessary to make the land successful. But none of this success would have happened without Shane's wisdom, knowledge, and physical ability; necessities of a Western hero. In The Last of the Mohicans, Hawkeye displays his role as a leader from the very beginning. Once he comes across the stranded white men in the woods, he immediately takes responsibility and tries to lead them out of potential danger. Throughout the entire book, Hawkeye is leading the way, performing whatever task was at hand with ease. Once again, he would have never been able to be successful in his travels without his common sense and knowledge of survival.

Other qualities that Shane and Hawkeye both display are respect and practicality. Both figures never come across as disrespectful or wasteful. Shane always showed appreciation for everything that Joe and his wife provided for him, without the slightest bit of a complaint. Hawkeye on the other hand was very practical throughout The Last of the Mohicans by doing only what the situation called for, instead of wasting time or carrying extra baggage that would result in inefficiency.

The second most common aspect of a Western hero is their great ability to handle weapons. The hero should appear as if he is "one" with his weapon, in this case gun. Hawkeye, also known as Long-Rifle, is well known among the surrounding Indian tribes for his talented ability to shoot long range with accuracy. Whenever Hawkeye introduced himself to other natives, they recognized his status as a great shooter and showed respect towards him. Shane also portrays his skills not only as a sharp shooter, but also a fighter. Many times in the novel, Shane resisted fighting because he was afraid of what he was capable to do. Because of Shane and Hawkeye's great ability to handle weapons, they must take more responsibility in controlling their strengths. A true Western hero does not take fighting casually, but instead waits for the opportune moment to strike. However, some situations call for a different approach of action, but the heroic figure always knows what he will do because of his common sense and knowledge based on many past experiences. Shane and Hawkeye's past experiences are also what make the two characters unique from one another (Cooper, Schaefer).

After reading The Last of the Mohicans and Shane, I acknowledged that while Hawkeye and Shane represent the same character type, they both have a couple qualities that make them their own kind of hero. In Jack Schaefer's entire novel, Shane did not speak near as much as the other characters in the book. However, when Shane did speak, his voice was always heard and taken to heart. Along with his voice, Shane's entire demeanor seemed reserved, as if he could not trust, or open up to the people he was around at the time. Shane's actions were enough of a voice for people