We think of language as a brilliant construct of the human mind, one which distinguishes us from and elevates us above other species. In The Last of the Mohicans, language is used to denigrate Native Americans in a way, as their speech is compared to bird song and animal sounds. Though this could be interpreted as demeaning their language, it also implies that they are closer to nature. In Nature, Emerson argues that all language springs from nature: "Every word which is used to express a moral or intellectual fact, if traced to its root, is found to be borrowed from some material appearance." (223) (While typing that sentence I noticed that the word "root" itself clearly connects to plant roots.)
I wondered what Emerson would think of Native American languages if they were, as Cooper depicted them, closer to nature. Far from dehumanizing Native Americans, the nature of their languages might impress Emerson, who disparages the corruption of man and language, saying "Thus is nature an interpreter, by whose means man converses with his fellow men. A man's power to connect his thought with its proper symbol, and so utter it, depends on the simplicity of his character, that is, upon his love of truth and his desire to communicate it without loss."(224)
I greatly enjoyed reading Emerson's thought on language because he uses it so masterfully. His stance on the simplicity of words seems counterintuitive because he uses language and words so lyrically. But it makes sense that he could harness that simplicity to create beauty.
I found Cooper's denigration of the Native American language strange, not only for the frequent comparisons to sounds found in nature, but also for the way in which he presents it in his text. Though he compares their tones to squawks and growls, the words that Magua or Uncas utter are often beautiful, full with metaphor and striking imagery. Of course, this reaction is coming from a 21st century reader, but I am forced to wonder if Cooper thought of the speech he put in his Native American characters' mouths as vulgar, coarse or ugly, especially when compared with the stilted speech reserved for most of his white characters. I also wonder how Cooper found the words for his Native American characters. Did he do any research on their dialects and particular expressions, or did he merely write in a mode formed from hearsay and folklore?
ReplyDeleteInteresting point, Harrison. I agree that the best language and writing in the novel is generally the dialogue of the Native American characters, even though he also at other points denigrates their languages and their culture.
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