IS-Last+of+the+Mohicans+Response

The Struggle for the Frontier The French and Indian War was, in essence, an outright conquest for domination of the uncharted lands of North America, yet the colonial terrain was formidable to the British and French alike. French military leaders sought alliances with Native peoples to bolster an advantage over the British; Native Americans knew the land well and possessed a savage willingness to fight, for which they were recruited by the French army. Notwithstanding the Indians’ alignment with the French militia, the Native peoples lived in fear of an inevitable subjugation, regardless of their conqueror. The French General Montcalm deemed American Indians abundant and expendable, while British colonists sought to repress their Native foes. In writing //The Last of the Mohicans,// James Fenimore Cooper exemplifies the spirit of the French and Indian War through fictional characters. The English Major Heyward embodies the typical Englishman, well-meaning, but ultimately unable to habituate to nature. Heyward demonstrates ever present integrity; yet once Colonel Munro discloses Heyward’s racist views the latter is forced to admit to his belief in racial stereotypes. Alice Munro, though young, embodies the typical white woman, as Heyward’s beloved. However, it is her sister, Cora, whose race is mixed, whose initial reaction to a Huron guide epitomizes the typical white reaction to an Indian. Cora regards the Native American with a combination of fascination and apprehension; white colonists feared the cultural differences of these presumed savages. Cooper’s depiction of the Huron Magua accords with a common presumption of whites, that Indians were cunning and deceitful savages. While popular stereotypes characterized all Native Americans as such, Cooper defies common nineteenth-century beliefs in presenting the native enemy of the Hurons, the noble and dignified Mohicans. The young Mohican Uncas truly embodies the notorious character of the noble savage, an Indian for whom the white population felt sympathy for, yet an Indian all the same. Uncas desires a loving bond with Cora Munro, the daughter of an English colonel; likewise, Cora reciprocates the desire. While society condemned such a relationship, Cooper suggests that Cora’s mixed race justifies her attraction to the noble Mohican. Concurrently, the opposing Indian Magua desires a monogamous relationship with Cora, yet such an attraction terrifies Cora’s protectors. It is through the villainous Magua that Cooper depicts the stereotypical interracial association feared by the colonists.  While the tragic deaths of Cora and Uncas imply that their love transgresses the rules of society, Cooper does not destine all interracial relationships to fail. A distinct friendship exists between Chingachgook, the father of Uncas, and Hawkeye, a man of no Indian blood. The interracial friendship between the Mohican and the white woodsman opposes ideals of white men, yet Hawkeye himself does not defy the standard of the white man. Hawkeye frequently proclaims that he is genuinely white and often insinuates that the red-skinned Indian and his tomahawk are inferior to the knowledgeable white man and his rifle. Nevertheless, Hawkeye regards two Native Americans as his closest friends. While Hawkeye is able to bridge the racial barriers that separate Native Americans and whites, he embodies prejudiced views nonetheless. Hawkeye’s contradictory opinions outline the racist stereotypes that British and French colonists attributed to Native Americans.