In my History of the Adirondacks course, we explored many of the topics that Cooper discusses in his book. One of the most prominent was the relationship between the state and the individual and how the two understood conservation. It is difficult to find a character in the novel more connected to the wilderness than Natty Bumppo. He believes a person should only take what is necessary to survive from the wild and that no real hunter would break this code. However, throughout the story, we see Natty conflicting with laws, often supported by Judge Temple, that are designed to preserve the wilderness, as is the case with the deer Natty killed out of season.
The way Natty reacts to these laws is very similar to how Adirondack locals dealt with a rising state authority in their region. They believed people who exploited the land, like Dick Jones and to a certain degree Billy Kirby, as the real threat to the preservation. However, these locals, like Natty, were the ones the state targeted. The state targeted primarily those of lower social standing, like Natty, and allowed men like Dick, who had connections, to exploit natural resources. With this in mind, how does class affect the ways an individual views nature and the ways the state interact with them in the novel?
Judge Temple represents a unique challenge to this question. Clearly, he is well connected and comes from a considerable amount of wealth. While he often engages in destructive behavior, as with the pigeon hunt, he does have a deep appreciation for the wild and often tries to protect it. Even though he engages in the pigeon hunt, he does feel a certain level of guilt for engaging in the hunt. Does he represent the United States at the time of the novel’s publication? He certainly is a complex portrayal of an American dealing with a rapidly “civilizing” and changing nation.
I believe that judge Temple represents the type of pioneers who will succeed in conquering the entire expanse of America. He is resourceful and capable of protecting his people from the dangers the frontier poses. However, he also has a clear respect for nature as Natty has, but he is a realist. He knows change is inevitable and that someone has to ensure order and law are respected to ensure a future for his people.
I think Judge Temple can be Cooper’s representation of America around this time period. Temple is ambitious, wealthy, and resourceful. You make a good point about how he participates in violent activities, but at the same time appreciates the world around him and would hate to see it be destroyed. He is not only a young and expanding United States, but also nature itself. Nature is everywhere and is the essence of life, constantly balancing itself on the line of peace and destruction.
I like how you questioned the effect of class on people’s views of nature. While I was thinking about it I realized that it might have not played a large part in people’s minds at the setting of the story. Back then, all settlers viewed nature and its resources as a means to either get money or to consume for survival. So maybe, class wasn’t involved in people’s views of nature as everyone wanted to gain wealth from it.