James Fenimore Cooper's Last of the Mohicans is considered to possibly be his best work. Last of the Mohicans was written in 1826 but takes place in 1757 during the French and Indian War. During this time of war, the French frequently allied themselves with Native American tribes to help get an edge over the English. The Indians had excellent knowledge of the land, and this provided the French with an advantage. The fighting took place on the American wilderness frontier, which is now New York State. The major conflict in the film is the fighting between the English and the French and their Indian allies. One of the major themes in this movie is the consequences of interracial friendship and love. This paper will examine why interracial friendship and love was important for some people's survival, how it caused conflict between people, and what possibly could have happened if there was no desire for interracial romance.
             Race did not matter to Hawkeye, a white man, or Chingachgook, a Mohican Indian. Hawkeye said, "I am not a prejudiced man, nor one who vaunts (brags about) himself on his natural privileges, though the worst enemy I have on earth, and he is an Iroquois, daren't deny that I am genuine white." This is evidence that race did not matter to Hawkeye when it came to friendship. Hawkeye and the Mohicans fought against the Huron to help keep white men alive. The greatest friendship in this story is between Hawkeye and Chingachgook. These two men both share the same beliefs, and this helps them team up to fight against the Huron Indians. The white military leaders did not realize how much that Hawkeye, who had grown up with the Mohicans, and Chingachgook had helped their army survive. The white certainly did not reward the Mohicans for their help either.
             Hawkeye's connection to the Mohicans is strong and long standing. Without Hawkeye, Uncas would not have learned the leadership qualiti...