In James Fenimore Cooper’s The Last of the Mohicans, Hawkeye’s definitive ideas of racial purity and white supremacy are carried throughout the novel. Hawkeye’s views on the superiority of white men is not unknown from his first appearance in the novel to the shaking of his head to the “future prospects of Cora and Uncas” after their deaths (Cooper 344). His actions show his deeply rooted contempt for interracial relationships, beyond those of distanced friendship, and his inability to believe that any other race could be equal to his own race. Hawkeye’s belief is built upon his desire to maintain white hegemony in the building of American culture, and these beliefs shows most when he is talking to Chingachgook about the difference between
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In his conversation, Hawkeye approaches the topic of learnedness and Native American’s ability to learn the skills of a white men, specifically shooting a rifle. He says that he knows that all “Bumppos could shoot,” and that is his own conclusion (31). This observation seems to imply that Hawkeye believes that there could be equality between Native Americans and white people; however, he contradicts this earlier by assuring Chingachgook that he is “genuine[ly] white” and later “[surveys,] with secret satisfaction, the faded colour of his bony and sinewy hand” (31). Hawkeye’s definitive views on the distinction between Native Americans and white people is made clear in his actions and his words. In this way, it seems that “Hawkeye, because he has learned from the Indians and their world, does not revere (or fall victim to) Indians but instead masters them by functioning as a prototypical American” (Daniel 128). In his own way, Hawkeye is able to, in his opinion, take on the façade of a person for Native American equality with white people; however, Chingachgook sees through this act and observes Hawkeye with “solemnity, that served to heighten its appearance of truth” (31). The Native Americans are able to see the truth about Hawkeye and even as he attempts to acknowledge his inherent privilege, he is not able to convince Chingachgook that he is sincere in these …show more content…
When Hawkeye admits that Native Americans can learn the skills of a white man, he then notes that he has a “natural” skill with the rifle, which is “handed down from generation to generation, as our holy commandments tell us, all good and evil gifts are bestowed” (31). This statement, while overtly about shooting, is also related to Hawkeye’s belief that, by nature, he has been born superior to Chingachgook due to the colors of their skin. He has been made a white man and this makes him superior “naturally” (31). The use of the words “good and evil” also shows connotations with the idea that white people are good and Native Americans are bad and this is so, because of the divine decision made about each person’s skin color. Hawkeye strives for the ruling of good – white – people because he feels that they are naturally superior, so he strives for hegemonic whiteness in an attempt to maintain the idea of divine right in the case of skin color so that white people will remain in power and the Native Americans will continue as the
In his conversation, Hawkeye approaches the topic of learnedness and Native American’s ability to learn the skills of a white men, specifically shooting a rifle. He says that he knows that all “Bumppos could shoot,” and that is his own conclusion (31). This observation seems to imply that Hawkeye believes that there could be equality between Native Americans and white people; however, he contradicts this earlier by assuring Chingachgook that he is “genuine[ly] white” and later “[surveys,] with secret satisfaction, the faded colour of his bony and sinewy hand” (31). Hawkeye’s definitive views on the distinction between Native Americans and white people is made clear in his actions and his words. In this way, it seems that “Hawkeye, because he has learned from the Indians and their world, does not revere (or fall victim to) Indians but instead masters them by functioning as a prototypical American” (Daniel 128). In his own way, Hawkeye is able to, in his opinion, take on the façade of a person for Native American equality with white people; however, Chingachgook sees through this act and observes Hawkeye with “solemnity, that served to heighten its appearance of truth” (31). The Native Americans are able to see the truth about Hawkeye and even as he attempts to acknowledge his inherent privilege, he is not able to convince Chingachgook that he is sincere in these …show more content…
When Hawkeye admits that Native Americans can learn the skills of a white man, he then notes that he has a “natural” skill with the rifle, which is “handed down from generation to generation, as our holy commandments tell us, all good and evil gifts are bestowed” (31). This statement, while overtly about shooting, is also related to Hawkeye’s belief that, by nature, he has been born superior to Chingachgook due to the colors of their skin. He has been made a white man and this makes him superior “naturally” (31). The use of the words “good and evil” also shows connotations with the idea that white people are good and Native Americans are bad and this is so, because of the divine decision made about each person’s skin color. Hawkeye strives for the ruling of good – white – people because he feels that they are naturally superior, so he strives for hegemonic whiteness in an attempt to maintain the idea of divine right in the case of skin color so that white people will remain in power and the Native Americans will continue as the