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Hawkeye, also known as Natty Bumppo, often refers to himself as a “man without a cross” throughout The Last of the Mohicans. Hawkeye was born to white English parents, but has lived much of his life among the Delawares (specifically, the Mohicans) of northern New York state. Because Hawkeye does not believe in a Christian god, and perhaps also because he has not been accepted into the white Christian (English and/or French) communities of North America, Bumppo considers himself between European and native society. Thus, as a “man without a cross,” Hawkeye feels allegiance both to Uncas and Chingachgook, on the one hand, and to Heyward, Munro, Alice, and Cora, on the other, without fully committing himself to either side.
“A man without a cross” Quotes in The Last of the Mohicans
The The Last of the Mohicans quotes below all refer to the symbol of “A man without a cross”. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
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Chapter 12
Quotes
Well done for the Delawares! Victory to the Mohican! A finishing blow from a man without a cross will never tell against his honor, nor rob him of his right to the scalp.
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Chapter 27
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Several of the [Huron] chiefs had proposed deep and treacherous schemes to surprise the Delawares, and, by gaining possession of their camp, to recover their prisoners by the same blow; for all agreed that their honor, their interests, and the peace and happiness of their dead countrymen, imperiously required them speedily to immolate some victims to their revenge.
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“A man without a cross” Symbol Timeline in The Last of the Mohicans
The timeline below shows where the symbol “A man without a cross” appears in The Last of the Mohicans. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Chapter 7
...although Hawkeye has lived among the natives for many years, and is therefore a “ man without a cross ” (or a man who is neither native nor Christian). The band leaves the caverns...
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Chapter 12
...the scout does not do the same, but Hawkeye counters that he is a “ man without a cross ,” though thankful all the same for the band’s survival and speedy recovery. Hawkeye says...
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Chapter 33
...the Delawares for all they have done on behalf of his family. Hawkeye, still “a man without a cross ,” joins with Chingachgook in watching the Delawares wrap Uncas’s body in animal skins; he...
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