James Fenimore Cooper was a prolific and popular American writer of the first half of the 19th century. His historical romances of frontier and Indian life in the early American days created a unique form of American literature. One of the Cooper`s European trilogy, The Headsman is set in Switzerland. The novel was inspired by one of Cooper`s trips during his European travels in 1832. It explores a number of themes related to how society structures itself, including justice, authority, friendship, parental relationships, love and marriage.
