The Pathfinder Summary
James Fenimore Cooper

The Pathfinder Summary

The Pathfinder begins with a journey of a young woman to a frontier outpost. She nearly becomes a victim of the treachery of Arrowhead, her Indian guide, and is only saved by Hawkeye's quick intervention. Later, it is the evil Lieutenant Muir who plots to help the enemy, and again, Mable almost becomes a victim — as her father does — of his treachery, and she is saved in the last minute by Natty. Both Arrowhead and Lieutenant Muir let their greed overcome their loyalty and pay for their treachery with their lives. This concept of greed, found both in the civilized and uncivilized characters, is a destructive force in Cooper's novels.

The cruel practice of taking scalps for prize money brings about the capture of Tom Hutter and Hurry in The Deerslayer, and the desire of the Mingos to possess the carved ivory chess pieces leads to...

(read more from the Short Guide)