James Cooper's "The Last of the Mohicans"

Cooper’s Last of the Mohicans takes place in 1757, during the French and Indian War when France and Great Britain battled for control of the North American colonies. Cora and Alice Munro, daughters of Lieutenant Colonel Munro, are traveling with a group of assistances from Fort Edward to Fort William Henry. Among the men, are David Gamut, the singing teacher, and Major Duncan Heyward, the group's military leader.  A Huron scout, Magua, offers to take the group by a shorter route. However, unknown to the Munro’s he is really on the French side and intends to lead them into an ambush, but is interrupted when they meet, and the two Mohicans, Chingachgook and his son Uncas, on the road. Hawkeye says Mangua has deceived them by trying to lead them astray but the Huron escapes before they can capture him. Hawkeye leads the group to safety in a cave however they are soon interrupted and the Huron’s capture Alice, Cora, Heyward, and Gamut. When Heyward tries to convert Magua to the English side, the Huron tells that he seeks revenge on Munro for past disgrace and proposes to free Alice if Cora will marry him. Cora feels passionate for Uncas, however, and angrily denies him. Suddenly Hawkeye and the Mohicans burst into the scene, rescuing the captives. Magua is the only Huron who escapes this attack.The party at last reaches Fort William Henry, once inside; Cora and Alice reunite with their father. A few days later, the English militaries call for a truce. Munro finds that he will receive no back-ups for the fort and will have to surrender. While the English troops depart from Fort William Henry, the Indian allies attack the dispersing soldiers. Among the chaos, Magua recaptures Cora, Alice, and Gamut and takes them into the forest. Heyward, Hawkeye, Munro, and the Mohicans soon discover Magua’s trail and begin to hunt him down. Gamut reemerges and tells them that Magua has separated his captives, sending Alice to a Huron camp and Cora to a Delaware camp. Using many different of disguises and tricks, the group manages to rescue Alice from the Hurons. When attempting to rescue Alice, however, the group fails and Magua runs off with her.  A big chase and battle occurs where Cora is unfortunately murdered by a Huron and Magua eventually stabs Uncas in the back, but when he tries to leap across a large gap he stumbles and falls to his death. During the burial of the two, Uncas is declared to have been the last warrior of the Mohican tribe.

The Last of the Mohicans takes place in a time period of brutal war, conflict, and in an unstable newly discovered land. In the time period it was written the newfound nation was still feeling after effects of the war and pain that was involved with that. At a time when the colonies were so oppressed there was little trust and faith in anything. The Indians in general, especially the Herons are a big target in The Last of the Mohicans as untrustworthy heathens that take only conflict with and hate the white race. Munro towards the end expresses a hope that white and Indians will one day come to a peace where skin color no longer matters, but Hawkeye attempts to bring him back into reality by saiying that for racial equality were to exist there land is to contradict nature. I agree with this idea that Cooper is trying to convey. Although all races receive equal rights in America racism has always been an issue in this country unfortunately up to this present day. Along with his idea, will we ever see the day where all races truly see each other on equal levels?