The Last of the Mohicans is a novel written by James Fenimore Cooper in 1826, set in the wilderness of upper 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 arrive at Fort Willism Henry and the trials they face along the way and after leaving. During this war, the French and British used Native American allies in their quest to gain control of North America, but the French were more dependent as they were outnumbered in the Northeast frontier areas by British colonists. The Native Americans represented in the text are the Delaware Indians, Mohicans, Mohawks, and Iroquois. The first two groups are depicted as good Indians – peaceful, calm and kind, while the latter two are deceitful, bloodthirsty and vengeful. Although Cooper attempts to present Native Americans in a more favorable and positive light and to show that they are more than just crude savages who enjoy massacring white men and cutting off their scalps, he nevertheless alternately idealizes and demonizes them. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay The Last of the Mohicans lives up to its name. This means not only the fall of a particular tribe of Native Americans, but also the fall of all Indian nations. The arrival of more Europeans on American shores helped destroy Native American civilization. The Europeans obviously considered themselves superior to the natives, they were more “advanced” and more educated. In short, they were civilized and the Indians were barbaric, savage. People are not just about the physical things they have accomplished, their technological advancements, etc., but also their values, their ideals and their way of life; unfortunately, European settlers were not successful in the case of Native Americans. If we abandon the idea that technological progress, population growth and conquest are the undisputed characteristics of an advanced civilization, what remains is the observation of family dynamics, social support, food, prosperity and community (Belic). Like many other settlers who were exposed to new cultures, natives were seen as weaker, inferior, something "other" and distinct from themselves; these people deserved to be subjugated and conquered, to be invaded and taken over. In the book, two cultures present in upper New York clash: whites and natives are in conflict. These two people simply cannot understand each other's ways. Although they enter into alliances, they do so because of mutual benefit and not because of any deeper understanding or sympathy. Even Hawkeye, who is lucky enough to live in both worlds, cannot merge the two cultures. Hawkeye sees a wide chasm between the ways of the Mingo and those of the white man. He believes that white people have a more enlightened set of values, inspired by Christianity, but he also respects Indian customs, traditions and religion. Cooper expresses the attitude towards Indians at that time. He extensively refers to Native Americans as “savages.” Magua was “constantly goaded by those impulses of vengeance which, in a savage, rarely sleep” (Chapter XXVII). Cooper clearly believes that a vengeful nature is part of the Indian repertoire, along with cunning and cunning.However, he often tries to be objective and refers to Indian culture in a more favorable, non-prejudiced way. We can see this in his depiction of the Mohicans as good Indians and in his recognition of the good qualities of the savages. Race is a prevalent topic in the novel and interracial relationships play a huge role in the development of the story. Crossbreeding is clearly frowned upon – the British are against mixing with a modest race. The idea of ​​Magua and Cora getting married is disgusting to everyone involved. Even Cora is at a disadvantage due to her black blood – Heyward does not consider her marriage suitable material and she is believed to have inherited racial characteristics and personality traits. It can be inferred that it is because of Cora's black blood that she is not initially rejected by Magua like her sister. She looks at him with “pity, admiration and horror, while her dark eye followed the easy movements of the savage”. (Chapter I). Cora has a more open attitude towards issues of race. She tells Uncas that no one who looked at him would “remember the color of his skin” (Chapter VI). Others of that era 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 will never recognize their relationship. It is interesting to note that the mixing of races does not extend to friendship between men as shown by the example between Hawkeye, Chingachgook and Uncas. Europeans influenced Native Americans in various ways. For example, Magua was chased from the Hurons because the white man had introduced the Indians to firewater (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, clean water, or maintain their villages or communities. Squanto, a Pawtuxet man who had been captured by European settlers, escaped and returned to his village, only to find that there were no survivors. The villagers had died from a plague that had spread the previous year (Adolf 247). The religious settlers believed that the diseases were a divine sign from God that the natives did not deserve their (Stockwell). Europeans believed that God was clearing out non-Christian Native American settlements for themselves. It is estimated that by the 18th century the Native American population had been reduced to about ten percent of what it was in 1491. The social structure and support systems of the Native Americans had collapsed; their Tibale leaders were dead and entire communities were destroyed. The tribes had to come together to survive. This continued for centuries and destroyed the Native Americans' sense of self and individualism (Zinn 3; Loewen 77). Native Americans inhabited the North American continent for thousands of years. They lived in peace and harmony and could not have predicted the toll that the expansion and oppression of the European people would have on them. Colonies established 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 and given equal rights; they could not be considered “white” or return to their Native American origins (Zinn 5). The American Indian War marked the beginning of the decline of Native American culture. The historian ».