Native Americans have played an important role in early American literature. After all, the Pilgrim Fathers and their descendants have had to deal with Native Americans from the very beginning, since the land on which the United States of America would be proclaimed in 1776 was already inhabited by tribes which were generally referred to as “Indians.” Over the decades and centuries, the image of Native Americans as depicted in novels and reports underwent quite a lot of dramatic changes. In this paper, the main focus will be laid on the image of Native Americans as it was drawn by two major novels of American literature: James Fenimore Cooper's “the Last of the Mohicans,” which was first published in 1826, and Robert Montgomery Bird's “Nick of the Woods,” which was published, eleven years after Cooper's work, in 1837. A reader familiar with both novels might notice that they represent two different approaches and attitudes towards Native Americans. On the one hand, there is Cooper who coined the term and image of the “Noble Savage,” depicting Native Americans as dignified, noble, honorable and beautiful “sons of the forest.” His work shows a comprehending attitude towards Native Americans, an attitude that is indicated in the introduction of his novel, where he claims that the native tribes were robbed of their territories by white settlers (Cooper 2). His image of Native Americans could be referred to as the “Eastern point of view.” On the other hand, there is Bird and what we could call the “Western point of view.” Bird directly attacks the image of Native Americans as Cooper drew it when he says in his introduction that
Cooper [...] had thrown a poetical illusion over the Indian character, [...]
[creating] a new style of the beau ideal – brave, gentle, loving, refined,
honorable romantic personages – nature's nobles (Bird 7). He claims that this picture is by no means an appropriate description of Native Americans and “that such conceptions as Uncas [...] are beautiful unrealities and fictions” (Bird 7). Another more subtle attack on Cooper's depiction of natives is found on page 43, where Bird mentions the tribes of the Delawares, Hurons and Shawnee. [...]
Table of Contents
0 Introduction
1 Similarities and Differences of both Novels
1.1 Themes
1.1.1 The Theme of Flight
1.1.2 Aristocratic Romance
1.2 Equivalent Characters
1.3 Interracial Relationships
2 Native American Stereotypes – Racism in both Novels
2.1 Native Americans in Bird's “Nick of the Woods”
2.2 Native Americans in Cooper's “the Last of the Mohicans”
2.2.1 Cooper's “bad Indians” - the Hurons
2.2.2 Cooper's Prototype of the “bad Indian” - Magua
2.3 Cooper's “good Indians”
2.3.1 Chingachcook
2.3.2 Uncas
2.3.3 What makes an Indian “good?”
3 Conclusion
4 Bibliography
Research Objective and Themes
This paper examines and compares the representation of Native Americans in James Fenimore Cooper's "The Last of the Mohicans" and Robert Montgomery Bird's "Nick of the Woods," aiming to reveal how both authors—despite seemingly different attitudes—employ racial stereotypes and Eurocentric perspectives in their narrative portrayals.
- Comparative analysis of literary tropes like flight and aristocratic romance
- Deconstruction of character archetypes and their cultural counterparts
- Investigation of overt versus subtle racism in 19th-century literature
- Critique of the "Noble Savage" versus the "Devilish Injun" dichotomy
- Exploration of assimilation as a determinant for "good" versus "bad" status
Excerpt from the Book
2.3.2 Uncas
The cultural interference that was mentioned to be inherent in the character of Chingachcook is even stronger and more explicit in Uncas. After all, he is said to “deny[...] his habits” (Cooper 103) when, instead of scalping his slain enemies, as his father does, he rather rushes to the aid of the females with Heyward. Furthermore, he is said to attend to the women, helping them here and there, which is not appropriate a task for a native.
Additionally, Uncas is said to be able to feel empathy and pity. This is indicated when Cooper gives the following passage:
Uncas stood [...] a calm, and, apparently, an unmoved looker-on, [...] but with eyes that had already lost their fierceness, and were beaming with a sympathy that elevated him far above the intelligence, and advanced him probably centuries before the practices of his nation (Cooper 104).
What is even more clearly stated with this passage is Cooper's strongly eurocentristic point of view on natives.
Summary of Chapters
0 Introduction: This chapter introduces the literary context of Native American representation in early American novels and outlines the comparative focus on Cooper's and Bird's works.
1 Similarities and Differences of both Novels: This section explores common thematic elements, such as the theme of flight, aristocratic romance, and parallel character structures between the two texts.
2 Native American Stereotypes – Racism in both Novels: This chapter provides a detailed critique of the racist stereotypes utilized by both authors, contrasting Bird’s overt racism with Cooper’s more subtle, Eurocentric "well-intended" bias.
3 Conclusion: The conclusion synthesizes the findings, arguing that both authors ultimately utilize their narratives to promote an ethnocentric view of Native American identity.
4 Bibliography: This section lists the primary sources and editions used throughout the analysis.
Keywords
Native Americans, James Fenimore Cooper, Robert Montgomery Bird, The Last of the Mohicans, Nick of the Woods, Racism, Eurocentrism, Stereotypes, Noble Savage, Literary Analysis, Frontier Literature, Character Archetypes, Assimilation, Colonialism, Representation
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the fundamental goal of this paper?
The paper aims to conduct a comparative analysis of how Native Americans are represented in the novels of Cooper and Bird, specifically examining the underlying racial biases in their character depictions.
What are the central themes discussed in the work?
The work focuses on common literary themes such as aristocratic romance, the necessity of flight, and the dichotomy between the perceived "good" and "bad" native characters.
What is the primary research question?
The research questions whether the two novels, despite their differing reputations, actually share deep-seated similarities in their reliance on colonial stereotypes and racist depictions of indigenous people.
Which scientific methodology is used?
The paper employs a comparative literature methodology, utilizing close reading and textual analysis to contrast the authors' handling of characterization and cultural narrative.
What is covered in the main section of the paper?
The main section investigates specific character archetypes, the contrast between Eastern and Western literary points of view, and the role of assimilation in determining moral standing within the narratives.
Which keywords best characterize the study?
Keywords include Native American representation, literary racism, Eurocentrism, character archetypes, and colonial discourse in early American literature.
How does the author define Cooper’s "well-intended" racism?
The author argues that while Cooper does not intend to be malicious, his reliance on Eurocentric values—where only assimilated natives are portrayed positively—functions as a form of racist narrative.
What role does the "Jibbenainosay" play in Bird's novel?
The "Jibbenainosay" represents the brutal, retaliatory violence used by white settlers in the text, serving as a contrast to the supposedly uncivilized and mindless nature attributed to the native tribes by Bird.
- Quote paper
- Anonym (Author), 2005, A Comparison of James Fenimore Cooper's "The Last of the Mohicans" and Robert Montgomery Bird's "Nick of the Woods", Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/58033
