Fenimore Cooper and The Poetics of Heroism in National Liberation Narratives

This article examines the poetics of heroism in the works of James Fenimore Cooper and in national liberation narratives more broadly, with particular attention to the artistic representation of courage, resistance, moral choice, and collective identity. The study aims to identify how heroic imagery is constructed through character development, landscape symbolism, conflict patterns, and narrative voice. Using comparative literary analysis, the article explores Cooper’s prose as an important model of historical-romantic narration in which the hero becomes a symbolic defender of freedom, justice, and national values. The findings demonstrate that heroism in liberation narratives is not limited to military bravery; it also includes ethical steadfastness, loyalty to homeland, cultural memory, and sacrifice for communal ideals. The study concludes that Cooper’s artistic method contributed to the formation of a broader literary tradition in which the heroic figure embodies both individual valor and the aspirations of a people struggling for self-determination.