Response to Cooper

American Literature at the time of Fenimore Cooper's life and writing was indeed a "blank slate" in many respects, however it should be acknowledged that America had risen out of Europe with a historical foot in the rich history of many countries, so in essense America's writers were aware of the possibilities and traditions of literature in an even broader sense. Furthermore, the literary mind worked in a new context, which in many ways may have served to free the creative spirit and shift concentration from a historical base to a full presence in the current day of early nineteenth century people of America and our countries natural splendor. Emerson, for example, greatly exhibits this very American shift in subject to the Individual and Nature. Cooper could not foresee the great works which were to grow out of pure imagination beyond any reference to past tradition.