Friday, March 26, 2010

James Fenimore Cooper and Natty Bumppo

In The Pioneers (1823), the inaugural novel in the five book Leatherstocking Series, James Fenimore Cooper created Natty Bumppo, also known as Leatherstocking and Hawkeye. In the prolific career that would follow, comprised of twenty-nine years of steady writing until his death in 1851, Cooper would not create any more memorable character than Natty Bumppo.

What is it about Natty Bumppo that makes him such a compelling character? Is he a representative American-type, and if so, what does this type suggest about American society and culture?

Natty Bumppo, interestingly enough, was always a character from the past, not the present--neither ours nor Cooper's. Natty is a protagonist in the historical romance tradition, a man from a bygone era, whose last appearance occurs in the 1827 novel The Prairie, which is set in 1804. Eighty-years has Natty Bumppo at the start of this novel as he manages a life west of the Mississippi River, away from the settlements.

By contrast, in 1804, Cooper himself was a wilfull fifteen-year old, in the midst of an unillustrious career at Yale. About a year or so later, he would be expelled for some ill-concieved pyrotechnics involving a dorm room door. Despite his restless spirit, the fifteen-year old Cooper could not have been any farther from the prairie. Nineteen-years later, with four spent at sea, Cooper would give birth to Natty Bumppo.

6 comments:

  1. Natty Bummpo is the kind of man that many of us may secretly wish we were-- the man who does not have familial or societal obligations, a man who can live off the land, the man who appreciates nature and its worth, and a man that is portrayed by Cooper as a wilderness super hero. He captures the excitement that old westerns capitalize on in the image of the "lone ranger" or the rugged, solitary cowboy (like Shane) who has shrugged the trappings of society to live a life on his own on the great frontier. I think Dr. Hotz, hits it on the head, when he said that Natty follows the tradition of the romantic ideal.
    Natty's character is also appealing because he is moral and courageous in that he rebels against unjust laws and corrupt authority figures (Hiram and Judge Temple). Natty seems to possess a wisdom that can only be gained from a life one with Nature ( I think Emerson would appreciate many of Natty's qualities). He is a man that springs to action when he feels morally compelled to do so.

    What does this say about our culture and society? I think that while citizens see the need for laws and the order that they bring, the human spirit is never quite defeated in its desire to break free and live outside of the law (even if this may only manifest itself in small infractions like not wearing your seatbelt or driving over the speed limit.) The desire to not be reined in is still there.

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  2. Ah yes, Nathaniel "Natty" Bumppo. Not exactly the most flattering name, or at least that was my first impression. It evoked the "bump on a log" image for me when I first read it. However, Natty Bumppo is a very likable character, odd name notwithstanding.

    I believe that Cooper's audience was drawn to Natty Bumppo because he is a frontiersman. And frontiersmen are, more or less, American. They are a unique kind of American who lived on the edges of civilization, living off of the land. These couldn't possibly exist in European culture. The entirety of the actual continent was well explored by this point. Asia had great civilizations in it already and any unexplored lands were blocked by impassable terrain. And the African interior was just neglected in this regard. America, however, was now the home of a new nation. And vast tracts of land to the west and even in the nation itself were unexplored and unsettled. Americans, I believe, were drawn to this frontier spirit, to this desire to explore, because it was uniquely theirs. And Natty is the embodiment of this spirit.

    On top of being a frontiersman, Natty was a strong, independent figure. And, of course, independence would still be fresh on the minds of Americans when Cooper wrote "The Pioneers". Seeing a strong, heroic figure stand up for what's right rather than what's expedient would easily reverberate in the "national consciousness".

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  3. I agree with Devon's post. I believe Natty represents all that people want to be, but can't be because of their lack of boldness. Most people cannot bring themselves to walk out on their families, kids, spouses and friends to just live on impulse;however, this does not mean those thoughts never cross peoples minds because they do. Natty was capable of living solely for himself and he was happy that way. He was a genuine person who cared and helped others, but at the end of the day enjoyed his solitude too much to create ties with others.

    What does this say about society? It says that people follow a pattern in life. They grow up, go to college, get married, have a career,and raise a family. Most people don't question it. Society is programmed this way, however, characters like Natty give people ideas to think about and lots of "what if's" to contemplate and fantasize about, but never act upon. This is what makes Natty such a compelling and likeable character in my opinion.

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  4. I have to agree with both Samantha and Devon on this one. Natty is very much like Emerson in his utter disregard for all the things society pushes onto us- mainly, familial and financial obligations. However, like Emerson, Natty's lifestyle is somewhat obtainable, not only because most of us seem unable to avoid family (and financial concerns), but mainly because he's a character from a completely different time, when life seemed a bit more free, or at least enabling of that kind of care free lifestyle.

    Another thing which I feel makes Natty Bumppo a compelling character is the fact that he was, ultimately, a good character, and perhaps the best character out of all of them. Even when he was shunned and looked down on by the other members of society, he still reached out to them and helped them when they were in need (in referrence to all of the lives he saved). He could easily have turned the other cheek and completely ignored those people who were against him, but instead he became the bigger man, with better morals and ethics than anyone else. Basically, for me Natty is a compelling character because of his strong sense of ethics, and the fact that he didn't seem to take anything personally, or at least, he didn't let it stop him from being the better person and acting on what he believed in.

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  5. To me Natty was a man who always wanted to do the right thing. He just seems very genuine. While he doesn't want to be "stuck in one place" he still tries to keep a sort of order with everyone. He would be the first, if not one of the first, to come to the aid of others in need. While his name isn't really appealing, his character brings out the notion of "nothing is as what it appears."

    Natty could be taken at first as a lazy person who won't do much of anything, but throughout the novel, he proves himself otherwise. I think he represents a lot with the American-type. He has a lot of the morals people hope for and uses his freedom in ways some people only wish they could. But, although Natty's character possesses these "great American ways," I don't feel he represents the American society. Maybe a person here and there is similar to Natty, but every American is NOT like this. Natty's character is, however, someone people would want to look up to and maybe model themselves after

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  6. In my opinion, the most fascinating thing about Natty Bumppo is that even though he was a character created with all the Romantic ideals of Cooper's time, he can still relate to what is popular in today's society. There are multiple shows like Man vs. Wild that gush over a man's ability to survive in the wilderness alone. Well isn't that basically what Natty Bumppo is doing?

    I agree with Sam when she says that he is living the life that many people wish they could be bold enough to live. While it might not be for everybody, it is clear that independence is important to people in the past, present, and will be in the future. Natty lives the life that he wants to live, and he refuses to give in to the opinions of the residents of Templeton. His ability to ignore what other people say about him is admirable and is certainly a reason why I felt so compelled by his character.

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