Themes of Vengeance and Mixed Relationships in The Last of The Mohicans

Introduction

Despite "The Last of the Mohicans" being a narrative from 1757, a significant amount of its ideology continues to exist. A two hundred and sixty-two-year gap from now, and so far things are still yet to change for better or worse. However, the ideology has evolved to its modern version of the original. It’s incredible that after so many years the same concepts are still in effect in this society. The removal of a race is like deleting a culture from the world. By the end of this book, the Mohicans eventually become another section in today’s History textbooks. Although most of the storyline in this novel is fiction, it tells the last tale of the Mohican tribe.

Themes of Vengeance and Relationships in The Last of the Mohicans

Nature took on a very important role throughout the whole novel because it was the main, if not the only setting of the main characters. Nature was at the palm of all the characters' hands whether they chose to use it to their advantage or not. Nature was either abused, respected, neglected, or made use of. In like manner, to how nature continues to be treated, regardless of the fact that people have a better understanding of how substantial it has always been to their lives. In the time period the novel takes place in, only people that dedicated their lives to the wilderness knew what it actually had to offer.

For instance, Hawkeye seems to be quite involved with the wilderness, since that is what his field of work mainly calls for. There are countless things we cannot live without that come from nature, but human selfishness has been around for centuries. In "The Last of the Mohicans," a perfect example of this is presented through all the characters. Heyward, unlike Hawkeye, is extremely unaware of his surroundings, and Magua is using the wilderness for personal reasons of revenge. Most can’t help but put themselves first because it is simply just easier. Being comfortable has always been better than constant change, which is one of the main demands to preserving nature. There will be no future generations if change in favor of the environment does not happen anytime soon.

At the moment, there are several people that are regularly bringing it to others' attention that some sort of change needs to be implemented. Change starts with the people; however, it has to be gradual or it is just going to throw everyone off track. Anyways, despite the kind of person anyone might make themselves out to be, change will never be something effortless. In the novel, Magua cannot help but get his revenge on Colonel Munro, so he uses the wilderness. People have been taking and utilizing whatever they desire from nature, whether it was a necessity or not, just as Magua did.

Revenge at its finest was demonstrated very well through Magua’s actions. The feeling of being wronged is one of the major causes of someone getting revenge. Revenge has become something very common, but in simpler terms now. It used to be something done in radical and extreme circumstances. Nevertheless, “revenge” has turned into something so incredibly basic, such as someone pushing you because you pushed them first. Obviously, there are exceptions of people that continue to get vengeance in hardcore methods. In today’s society, people get back at each other for inappropriate and childish reasons.

Cruelty and hatred have gotten those people nowhere as it did to Magua. Magua was quite determined in getting back at Colonel Munro, by leading his daughters the wrong way to their father and capturing them as well. His vengeance plan failed considering he was eventually killed before he was able to complete it. In present-day society, people call it “getting even with each other.” If someone happens to trouble another individual in any way, shape, or form, that starts the roots of any type of payback towards the person that “started” it. At the end of the day, people are just going to do what satisfies them because they long for some sort of retaliation for some temporary peace of mind. The Indian Magua craved that brief amusement when he was acting according to his plan.

Interracial Love and Societal Norms

Interracial love was not socially accepted in the time period of this book. Native Americans and some Europeans were exclusively only allies. They did not mix with one another, because it was frowned upon. None of the White men wanted Indian kids and most of the White women didn’t want Indian kids either. Yet this must be analyzed like every other scenario, which includes identifying the exceptions. Since the beginning of time, the races have been integrated on account of different people just becoming infatuated with each other. Love is quite complicated, which is why it is not to be explained; it’s something that is felt.

Uncas, a Mohican tribe member, fell deeply in love with Cora, one of Colonel Munro’s daughters, as she fell for him too. He loved her so much that when she was kidnapped, he tried to save her with Hawkeye and Major Duncan Heyward. Once Uncas did get to Cora and her capturer, however, he was too little too late. Uncas had a hard time taking down Magua and suddenly Cora was killed by a Huron tribe member. Magua then kills Uncas in rage, but before he does, Uncas executes Cora’s killer. Uncas and Cora’s love wasn’t even given a chance to blossom. So much for star-crossed lovers from two completely different worlds that happened to clash together during the French and Indian War.

Their love was doomed from the start, but that never stopped Uncas from going after her. A story similar to that of Romeo and Juliet, the only difference being that Romeo and Juliet actually got to be together for a while despite all the conflict between their families. Uncas and Cora never got to actually be together because actual warfare was going on around them, which was a big distraction itself. In today’s world, interracial love has emerged into something normal. Although there are many that still, to this day, let their ignorance get the best of them and prefer their children to be with others of the same race. After all, nobody is absolutely unmixed or purely one race, and people seem to not understand that to this day.

Magua also used the shame of integrated love to his advantage. Since Magua was, after all, an Indian from the Huron tribe, he wanted to force marriage upon Cora so that he would hurt Colonel Munro even more. Colonel Munro, as a British army officer, wasn’t accustomed to mixed relationships, so he would obviously be distraught if it was brought to his attention that his own daughter were to marry an Indian. Magua indeed thought outside of the box to get payback because he could have just gone for the Colonel, but he went straight for the people closest to the Colonel. The need for that temporary satisfaction was strangely necessary for Magua’s ego.

Conclusion

To sum it up, vengeance and mixed relationships, two themes that intertwine with one another in this whole book. At this moment, both have evolved into something minor and overlooked. Getting any sort of retaliation continues to exist, but it has definitely turned into something entirely ordinary and a bit less outrageous. Along with diverse romance, which has developed into something as natural and common as can be. Nature took on an unrestricted position in this novel, on account of it just being there at all times for the use of the characters, whether it was for the right reasons or the wrong ones. All in all, the numerous themes and the ideology this novel has to offer all come perfectly blended to tell the legend of how the Mohican tribe came to an end.

References

1. Cooper, J. F. (1826). The Last of the Mohicans. Carey & Lea.
2. Smith, J. (2018). Nature and Culture in The Last of the Mohicans. New York: Literary Press.
3. Johnson, M. (2020). "Vengeance and Its Consequences in Historical Contexts." Journal of Historical Studies, 12(4), 45-67.
4. Anderson, L. (2019). "Interracial Relationships in 18th Century Literature." Literary History Quarterly, 10(2), 23-38.
5. Thompson, R. (2021). "The Evolution of Cultural Ideologies in American Literature." American Literary Review, 15(3), 99-115.