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Analysis and comparison of female characters in American novels of James Fenimore Cooper and Louise May Alcott
Cibulková, Tereza ; Bílek, Petr (advisor) ; Činátlová, Blanka (referee)
This thesis is focused on the representation and characterization of female characters in the novel The Deerslayer from The Leatherstocking Tales pentalogy from James Fenimore Cooper in contrast to the concept of female characters in the book from Louisa May Alcott Little Women. There is analyzed images of female fictional heroines living in the American wilderness in the years 1740-1805, and these findings are compared with the representation of women in the 19th century domestic novel Little Women. The way of creating female characters is analyzed in relation to the other characters, the space in which they live, the storyline and contemporary values. This analysis should in a literary historical aspect reveal how much the role of a woman becomes a mere fulfillment of a simplified scheme and how it also has many meanings of full-fledged components in literary work. The author of this thesis also focuses on the influence of the environment on the formation of female characters and tracks their role not only in American novels but also in the society. Key words woman, gender, novel, cult of True Womenhood, James Fenimore Cooper, Louise May Alcott, topoi of the forest, home, american wildernes
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The idealized portrayal of Indians in James Fenimore Cooper's The Last of Mohicans and René Francois de Chateaubriand's Les Natchez
Brožová, Tereza ; Procházka, Martin (advisor) ; Veselá, Pavla (referee)
The aim of this bachelor thesis is the depiction of the portrayal of Indians in two pieces of art, James Fenimore Cooper's The Last of the Mohicans and René François de Chateaubriand's Les Natchez. Both authors depict the character of the Indian on the background of the emerging American states. The exotic setting, which fascinated a great number of artists, served as a device for the critique of the European society and civilization. The wilderness of the American continent was shrouded in mystery and thus stimulated the imagination of writers. Cooper and Chateaubriand were influenced by the reading of early reports of adventurers and ethnographers. These records were mingled with their own experience, traditions, myths, and the common presuppositions. Therefore, in both pieces of art, Indian characters bear idealized character features. Cooper and Chateaubriand both deal with the issue of mixing of races, gender and racial roles, and tension between civilization and savagery. Due to the problem of the blood- purity which would be destroyed by the interracial marriage, the main heroes of The Last of the Mohicans are sentenced to die. Chateaubriand, on the other hand, burdens his characters with Christian features and their lives are spent in brooding over the uneasiness of life and destiny. The thesis also...
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