In The Last of the Mohicans, the English travelers are not used to wild American forests. They are used to having tea on their lawns and having garden parties every week. They are used to having what they want, when they want it. This Victorian lifestyle of having more than you could wish for is very different from the lifestyle of the Americas where you have nothing but the clothes on your back and the gun in your hand, and if you can't find food. that day, you will not have dinner that evening. Even during combat, to which Heyward was no stranger, officers still traveled in luxury and were expected to be treated well even if captured. In this book, Duncan Heyward goes from a posh soldier, unaccustomed to the woods, to a man so good at stealth that he could be disguised as an Indian. David Gamut, a young chanter who was originally very afraid of being in the woods, not only transforms into a more hardened man, but actually becomes an aid in the battle against the Delawares. The harsh American landscape transformed these men into seasoned foresters. Major Duncan Heyward enters the story as a slightly dim-witted English general on his way to Fort William Henry. He had only been in the forest for a few hours and he was already hopelessly lost. Heywards' role in this book was to play the white man completely out of his element. The Indians often make fun of the fact that he doesn't belong in the forest. Another shortcoming was his inability to speak the Indian language. This leads to many communication problems between them. However, throughout the novel, Heyward changes a lot. He is a born strategist, so these skills came in handy when fighting the Delawares. He quickly learned... middle of paper ...... amut talks about how Magua freed him just because he thought Gamut was crazy because of all his singing. After this point, Gamut is still a little afraid of the border, but he adapts to it more. He once again saves his life and that of his friend by singing his prayer songs. Gamut's final courageous action in the book involves hitting one of Magua's friends in the head with a stone from his slingshot. This distraction allows Hawkeye to kill Magua. The border changes people. It is a harsh landscape in which only highly adapted people can survive. Duncan Heyward and David Gamut both learned this the hard way. They are used to the posh life of England and do not understand how life on the border works. The events of the story, however, transform them into men who, although not as good as the Indians, can defend themselves in the hostile landscape of North America...