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Washington Irving’s The Sketch Book of Geoffry Crayon and James Fenimore Cooper’s The Pioneers are novels that expertly deal with a variety of social issues, one of which is the relationship between European and Native Americans. The new influx of European settlers to North America from the late fifteenth century to the time of Irving and Cooper gradually destroyed entire civilizations of Native Americans and resulted in their presence on the world scene being only one of “mere wrecks and remnants of once powerful tribes. ... Irving presents a sympathetic view of the American savage’s culture and existence in early nineteenth century America, while Cooper represents an opposing view, one which Irving strives to correct.
In “Traits of Indian Character,” a chapter of The Sketch Book dealing with this issue, Irving develops a romantic portraiture of the Native American. In the following excerpt, Irving identifies American Indians with nature and lavishes praise upon their “natural” state: “There is something in the character and traits of the north American savage taken in connection with the scenery over which he is accustomed to range […] that is, to my mind, wonderfully striking and sublime.” Irving, through the persona of Geoffry Crayon, describes the Native American Indian as the keeper of the soil, the natural man who is one with nature, and it is this raw, “uncivilized” aspect of his culture that causes Irving to be interested in his mysterious disposition and the differences between it and the European culture. ... ” The sun here is linked to the more enlightened European culture that overpowers the political weakness and ignorance of the Native Americans. ... Some literary critics argue that one of the primary purposes of The Sketch Book is to ease tensions between British and American societies, because it is written to both an American and English audience with care taken to address issues of importance to both societies (“Irving”), and while this may be true, it is just as valid to state that it is also written to ease tensions between European, American, and Indian societies, to demonstrate to each the values of other cultures.
Approximate Word count = 1563
Approximate Pages = 6.3
(250 words per page double spaced)
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