GAN Novel (Short Post) Use of Epigraphs

An Epigraph is a quote or phrase that is presented at the beginning of a new chapter in literature. In the case of the novel “The Last of the Mohicans,” Cooper uses quotes from what for him was old literature and quotations, (which for us is doubly as old.) For example, the most recent Epigraph that I read was from the Iliad which was written in the 8th century, BC. The Epigraph for chapter one is by Shakespeare, and states as follows ““Mine ear is open, and my heart prepared: The worst is wordly loss thou canst unfold:— Say, is my kingdom lost?”—Shakespeare.” (Many of the epigraphs are from Shakespeare, at least 5 so far in my readings.) Cooper spends the entirety of Chapter One discussing the situation of the two emperors fighting over the Eastern Sea Board of N. America. “Say, is my kingdom lost?” Cooper uses this quote to foreshadow the topic of the upcoming chapter. I like it when authors use Epigraphs, as they add and additional layer of background to each chapter, in the case of this novel, it adds to the historical depth of the plot. Any book that can connect well to historical philosophies and stories immediately improves its own story and contextual elements.