The Last of the Mohicans is a novel written by James Fenimore Cooper in 1826, set in the wilderness of New York in 1757, the book focuses on the French and Indian War (1754 – 1763). The book follows Alice and Cora Munro, Hawkeye, Chingachgook, Uncas, and David Gamut as they attempt to get to Fort Willism Henry and the trials they face along the way and after they leave. During this war, both the French and the English used Native American allies in their attempt to take control of North America, but the French were more dependent as they were outnumbered in the northeastern frontier areas compared to the British settlers. The Native Americans portrayed in the text are the Delaware Indians, the Mohicans, the Mohawks and the Iroquois. The first two groups are portrayed as good Indians: peaceful, calm and kind, while the last two are deceitful, bloodthirsty and vengeful. Although Cooper attempts to paint Native Americans in a more favorable and positive light and to show that they are more than just savages who like to slaughter white men and cut off their scalps, he nevertheless idealizes and demonizes them. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay The Last of the Mohicans is aptly named. It signifies not only the fall of a particular Native American tribe, but the fall of all Indian nations. The arrival of more Europeans on America's shores served to destroy the Native American civilization. Europeans obviously considered themselves superior to the natives, they were more "advanced" and educated. In short, they were civilized and the Indians were barbaric, savage. There is more to people than the physical things they have made, their technological advancement and the like, their values, ideals and way of life are also considered; unfortunately, European settlers failed to do so in the case of Native Americans. If we abandon the idea that technological progress, population growth and conquest are the undisputed hallmarks of an advanced civilization, what we are left with is the observation of family dynamics, social support, nourishment, prosperity and community (Belic). Like many other settlers who were exposed to new cultures, the natives were assumed to be weaker, inferior, something “other” and separate from themselves; these people deserved to be subjugated and conquered, to be invaded and conquered. In the book, two cultures in uptown New York collide: the whites and the natives are in conflict. These two people simply cannot understand each other's ways. Even if they form alliances, they do so for mutual benefit and not for deeper understanding or sympathy. Even Hawkeye, who has the ability to live in both worlds, cannot unite both cultures. Hawkeye sees a wide gulf between the ways of the Mingo and those of the white man. He believes that whites have a more enlightened, Christian-inspired set of values, but he also respects Indian customs, tradition and religion. Cooper expresses the attitude towards the Indians in that period. He abundantly refers to Native Americans as “savages.” Magua was “driven incessantly by those vindictive impulses which rarely sleep in the savage” (Chapter XXVII). Cooper clearly thinks that a vindictive nature is part of an Indian's repertoire along with cunning and cunning. However, he often tries to be objective and refers to Indian culture more favorably and less prejudicially. We can see this in his portrayal of the Mohicans as good Indians and in recognizing the good qualities of the savages. Race is a prevalent topic in the novel and theInterracial relationships play a huge role in the development of the story. Miscegenation is clearly frowned upon: the English are against mixing with a humble race. The idea of ​​Magua and Cora getting married is disgusting to everyone involved. Cora is also at a disadvantage due to her black blood: Heyward does not consider her suitable marriage material and is thought to have inherited racial characteristics/personality traits. It can be deduced that it is because of Cora's dark blood that she is initially not as disgusted by Magua as her sister. She looks at him with “pity, admiration and horror, while her dark eyes followed the easy movements of the savage”. (Chapter I). Cora has a more open attitude towards racial issues. He tells Uncas that no one who looked at him “would remember the shadow of his skin” (Chapter VI). Others of that period did not share this view. Although Uncas loves Cora, Hawkeye scoffs at the idea of ​​them being together in the afterlife. He is aware that his family and society would never recognize their relationship. Interestingly, race mixing does not extend to friendship between men, as evident in the case between Hawkeye, Chingachgook, and Uncas. Europeans influenced Native Americans in various ways. For example, Magua was driven out by the Hurons because the white man introduced the Indians to brandy (alcohol). Europeans also introduced their diseases. Infectious diseases, to which Native Americans had no immunity, quickly spread throughout the country. People were unable to care for the sick, bury the dead, gather food, secure water, or maintain their villages or communities. Squanto, a man from Pawtuxet who had been captured by European settlers, escaped and returned to his village, only to find there were no survivors. The villagers had died due to a plague that had spread the previous year (Adolf 247). Religious settlers assumed that diseases were a divine sign from God showing that the natives did not deserve them (Stockwell). Europeans believed that God was cleansing the settlements of non-Christian Native Americans. By the 18th century, the Native American population was estimated to have been reduced to about ten percent of that in 1491. The Native American social structure and support systems had crumbled; their tibal leaders had died and entire communities had been destroyed. Tribes had to band together to survive. This went on for centuries and destroyed the Native Americans' sense of self and individualism (Zinn 3; Loewen 77). Native Americans had inhabited the North American continent for thousands of years. They lived in peace and harmony and could not have foreseen the devastation that the expansion and oppression of the European people would have on them. Colonies founded in the early 16th and 17th centuries were tolerated and supported by Native Americans. Despite this, Native Americans were mistreated, kidnapped, mistreated, and marginalized. Many Native Americans decided to change their ways and assimilate into European-American culture. Some were successful, some were not: they were not fully accepted by whites or given equal rights; they could not be considered “white” nor could they trace their Native American origins (Zinn 5). The French and Indian War marked the beginning of the decline of Native American culture. Historian Fred Anderson writes: “In ending the French empire in North America, the French and Indian War undermined, and ultimately destroyed, the ability of native peoples to resist the expansion of Anglo-American settlement. The violence and brutality of the war also encouraged whites, particularly frontiersmen, to hate Indians with indiscriminate fury. The Indians fearing”.