▁who ▁was ▁educated ▁at ▁a ▁college ▁in ▁New ▁England , ▁then ▁moved ▁to ▁Louisiana ▁with ▁his ▁slaves ▁and ▁established ▁a ▁plant ation ▁there . ▁The ▁novel ▁is ▁important ▁for ▁its ▁dep iction ▁of ▁slave - tr ading ▁and ▁its ▁m ild , ▁but ▁persu as ive , ▁critique ▁of ▁sla very . ▁ ▁He ▁attended ▁Wes ley an ▁University ▁in ▁M idd let own , ▁Connecticut ▁from ▁ 1 8 3 4 ▁until ▁ 1 8 3 7 , ▁and ▁while ▁at ▁college ▁gave ▁evidence ▁of ▁art istic ▁and ▁literary ▁talent . ▁Thor pe ' s ▁strugg les ▁with ▁ill ness , ▁however , ▁prevent ed ▁him ▁from ▁gradu ating . ▁ ▁Work ▁Thor pe ▁is ▁known ▁for ▁his ▁per ception ▁of ▁nature . ▁His ▁best - known ▁short ▁stories ▁are ▁“ Tom ▁O wen , ▁The ▁Be e ▁K ee per ” ▁and ▁“ The ▁Big ▁Bear ▁of ▁Ark ansas ”, ▁inspired ▁by ▁the ▁natural ▁scen ery ▁of ▁the ▁South west . ▁Thor pe ▁created ▁these ▁works ▁with ▁the ▁natural ▁setting ▁of ▁the ▁South west ▁in ▁his ▁mind . ▁Thor pe ▁made ▁it ▁his ▁mission ▁to ▁show case ▁the ▁scen ery ▁through ▁his ▁stories . ▁▁ ▁Thor pe ▁used ▁natural ▁imag ery ▁and ▁def ended ▁the ▁well - be ing ▁of ▁life ▁in ▁the ▁wild . ▁Many ▁of ▁his ▁pieces ▁are ▁named ▁after ▁animals . ▁▁ ▁He ▁did ▁not ▁support ▁the ▁way ▁animals ▁were ▁used ▁by ▁sports men . ▁One ▁example ▁of ▁this ▁is ▁in ▁“ W ild - cat ▁Hun ting