The setting in
Cooper's novel is critical to the major events and action scenes. The war
between the French and Indians brings
with it many acts of violence that to readers and even Cooper seem
"inhuman" (204). The violence itself persists as a theme throughout
the story, but it seems like it could be driven by the stereotype of men and
women and their said roles in society.
War and violence is
not prejudice to the color of ones skin, in the sense that there is intergroup
conflicts and larger rivalries between groups. There seems to be no way of
escaping acts of violence no matter what blood the characters were made up of.
What did stand out to me was that no women seemed to be brutally harmed, until
the killing of Cora. Especially for the Indians it seemed as if they could not
bare the thought of harming women- as if they were weak and needed to be
protected. This idea that women were weak could easily drive the violence
between men to be more gruesome than actually needed.
For a man to be
called a women, even in modern times, is an insult to character. Masculinity is
simply earned by defeating other male threats around them. The man that can
defeat any enemy at ease, or the largest group of enemies, in the most gruesome
way, will surely be considered the most
masculine. But that’s not always the the case
Cooper describes
characters reactions to war scenes in such a way that is gloomy and regretful.
After using his last shot to take a man out of his misery, Heyward felt
repulsed by his own doings. After the massacre all the characters "felt
such a deep stake in their happiness" (207). All these thoughts brought me
to my final, very ambiguous, question. If the men need violence to establish
their identities in society, but regret their horrid acts, what is the limit on
violence and war? What is too much, if needed at all?
Sam, I thought your post was very interesting. First, I agree with your point that violence persists as a theme throughout the story, as it is evidenced throughout the many scenes of battle. That said, while masculinity can be defined, as you mentioned, by he who finds success in war, masculinity can also be defined in different ways. Some may find he who is clever, or bright exceedingly masculine. Thus, perhaps because the native americans in this novel seem to have a better overall understanding of the land than those who are trying to take it from them, this causes a feud. Perhaps the British and the French were threatened by the intelligence and knowledge the native americans displayed. If masculinity is defined by smarts, many Native Americans in this novel are extremely masculine and threatening to the French and British.
ReplyDeleteHi Sam,
ReplyDeleteI think your choice to focus on violence as one of the most prevalent themes within Cooper's The Last of the Mohicans is definitely an interesting and sensible one. I do agree also that violent scenes within the text help to demonstrate the expected gender roles of the time; while characters like Hawkeye and the Mohicans battle it out with the opposing Hurons and other natives that dwell in the forests, both Cora and Alice are always kept out of harm's way, and even out of sight if possible. On numerous occasions, Hawkeye insinuates female's perceived physical inferiority and weakness when he states that the sisters wouldn't be able to handle certain lengths of journeys and travels that the men could handle without a second thought or reservation. Hawkeye himself acts as the face of masculinity, one could argue: he is the one who pushes the group onward despite their gloomy circumstances, encouraging bravery and action- all of which are often deemed to be signs of "masculinity".
Yet, I did want to call attention to the claim you made when you said that there isn't any violence committed against women in the novel until Cora's death. I think you have forgotten the brutal murder of the woman and her baby in the forest when the massacre takes place by the natives outside the borders of William Henry. This is, in my opinion, actually one of the most gruesome instances of violence in the text, and is one committed against a woman. I do understand that some of the women among the natives' tribes seem to be respected, but such violent acts such as that one committed against the woman, baby, and Cora speak otherwise. Magua's alluding to raping Cora on a few occasions speak to this violence as well.
I also think you have broached some interesting questions at the end of your post. However, I personally think Heyward's regret towards some of his actions speaks more about his individual characterization and sensitivity when compared to his companions (Hawkeye and the Mohicans), who are much more accustomed to such brutal warfare and demonstrate less sensitivity and emotion as characters. This is a part of Heyward's character that separates him from some of the other "manly males" in the book.
Thank you for sharing your thoughts with us!