Lake Gun

Fenimore Cooper James

Description

In this parable-like short story from American author James Fenimore Cooper, a sage Native American relates the tragic tale of a young upstart named See-wise who bucks tribal tradition and tries to convince his fellow fisherman to flout seasonal restrictions on fishing. For this transgression, he is doomed to an eternal punishment.

Sujets

• Short story

Informations

• Publié par: The Floating Press
• Date de parution: 01 mai 2015
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9781776587650
• Langue: English

Extrait

THE LAKE GUN
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JAMES FENIMORE COOPER
 
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The Lake Gun First published in 1850 Epub ISBN 978-1-77658-765-0 Also available: PDF ISBN 978-1-77658-766-7 © 2014 The Floating Press and its licensors. All rights reserved. While every effort has been used to ensure the accuracy and reliability of the information contained in The Floating Press edition of this book, The Floating Press does not assume liability or responsibility for any errors or omissions in this book. The Floating Press does not accept responsibility for loss suffered as a result of reliance upon the accuracy or currency of information contained in this book. Do not use while operating a motor vehicle or heavy equipment. Many suitcases look alike. Visit www.thefloatingpress.com
Contents
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Preface The Lake Gun Endnotes
Preface
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"The Lake Gun" is one of James Fenimore Cooper's very few shortstories, and was written in the last year of his life. It wascommissioned by George E. Wood for publication in a volume ofmiscellaneous stories and poems called "The Parthenon" (New York:George E. Wood, 1850), and Cooper received $100 for it. The story wasreprinted a few years later in a similar volume called "Specimens ofAmerican Literature" (New York, 1866). It was published in book form in1932 in a slipcased edition limited to 450 copies (New York: WilliamFarquhar Payson, 1932) with an introduction by Robert F. Spiller.
The "Lake Gun," though based on folklore aboutSeneca Lake in Central New York State (the "Wandering Jew" and the"Lake Gun"), and on a supposed Seneca Indian legend, is in factpolitical satire commenting on American political demagogues ingeneral, and in particular on the then (1850) Whig Senator from NewYork State, William Henry Seward (1801-1872), who had served asGovernor of New York (1838-1842) and would later become Secretary ofState (1861-1869) under Presidents Lincoln and Johnson. By 1850 Cooperfeared that unscrupulous political extremists, mobilizing publicopinion behind causes such as abolitionism, were leading Americatowards a disastrous Civil War.