HN+Last+of+the+Mohicans+Analysis

Analysis of Relationships in //Last of the Mohicans// Though conflict can appear to be a simple case of one side against another, it is in reality a complex web of alliances and grudges, connections and clashes. During the French and Indian War, England and France battled for supremacy in colonial North America. In order to bolster their forces, each nation enlisted the support of Native Americans. At this point, Native American societal structure involved tribes that had allied and fought with one another for many years. Both France and England disregarded these long-held diplomatic feelings, taking on sworn enemies as allies, such as the Mohicans and the Six Nations. Though the leaders of armies viewed the Native Americans as tools in the greater scheme of the war in the novel //The Last of the Mohicans// by James Fenimore Cooper, the colonists and military personnel that experienced the culture of various tribes came to respect their way of life to some degree. Native Americans were viewed by the British and French colonists as fascinating savages that could be usefully implemented to achieve their means. The British and French colonists generally viewed their Indian allies as inferior savages. The Native Americans were treated as subordinates; they were referred to as children of their white fathers. The battling powers used the natives to their advantage while disregarding their culture and customs. When the Hurons attack the defeated British, the French watch the massacre with indifference, believing that the Indians must be allowed to act on their brutal tendencies. They do not see that the Native Americans have ulterior motives for launching an attack on the colonists. In addition, the way that the British and French arranged their allies pinned two parts of one tribe against each other while forcing conflicting tribes to cooperate. For example, the Delaware tribe had a schism, with most siding with the French, and some, such as the Mohicans, joining the British. On the other hand, the both the tribes of the Six Nations and the Mohicans, natural enemies, are considered allies of the British. By interfering with traditional tribal coalitions and conflicts and treating their activities with apathy, the British and French colonists show their contempt for Native American culture and express their view of the natives as tools in the greater scheme of the war. The colonists that are exposed to Native American customs, such as the Munro sisters and Heyward, begin to respect their activities and traits and understand the veneration that Hawkeye, a close observer of native traditions and characteristics, expresses. Though they are shamelessly used by the leaders of the warring European armies, their patience, wisdom, and cunning is admired by the travelers. Even when they are captives of hostile forces, Heyward notes their caution and vigilance as they avoid leaving a trail for their active pursuers. Hawkeye, himself a notable scout, praises their guerilla fighting strategies and their considerable prowess in tracking. The practices that are abhorred by the Europeans are seen to be simply misunderstood due to ignorance, such as scalping; in the native culture, it is not a violent tendency, but a trophy depicting their pride and skill in battle. Despite the military’s disdain for the Native Americans, the colonists that closely observe their culture appreciate it and its differences from their own. The Native Americans and their customs were viewed with varied attitudes from the French and British colonists. The militaries see their Indian allies as primitive tools that could be used to their advantage; the few that closely observed the native practices acknowledge their worth as integral components of a complex culture. However, the prevalent perception depicts Native Americans as inferior to the dominant Europeans. The multiple opinions of the colonists towards the natives during the French and Indian War parallel the entangled web of Native American customs that were violated as they acted as allies to the warring factions.