The Pioneers: Opposing views

A detailed Summary of The Pioneers: Opposing views

During the time period the Novel, The Pioneers, the landscape around the city of Templeton is undergoing a great transition. What was once unsettled landscape with huge forests, thousands of animals roaming the countryside and unlimited resources, is now turning into a civilization filled with men determined to expend those resources. The novel is divided up into two types of people: those whose goal is to preserve nature and be one with it, and those who would just like to control it. On one hand, there is the preservationist, Natty Bumppo, who believes that men must obey nature's laws as an animal among others. On the other, there is the conservationist, Judge Temple, who knows of the dangers of wastefulness but cannot help the overwhelming temptation to do so. While both men are alike in their desire to protect nature and its inhabitants, each goes about it in completely different ways: while the Judge strives to control nature and be its master, Natty struggles throughout his life to be one with nature.

Both Natty and the judge agree on one thing: wasting earth's natural resources is destructive. While Natty may not believe it, Judge Temple does show some genuine concern for the for

Natty's reaction to the situation is almost identical to that of the Judge. In the same way that the Judge proclaims the killing of pigeons in this manner should no longer be called a "sport," Natty states that the participants must be inexperienced hunters if they have to do something as easy as shooting into a flock. Natty believes that this spectacle is only evidence of insecure men making themselves feel good by bullying those that are weaker, in this case, nature.

Despite the Judges actions, he damands others to conserve nature as much as they can. He imposes laws on the people of the town and the creatures that live in it as well. In a sense, instead of trying to protect nature, he is trying to control it. To him, judicial laws are man's only hope at conserving nature's resources: "We are stripping the forests, as if a single year would replace what we destroy... But the hour approaches when the laws take notice of not only the woods, but the game they contain also" (230). The Judge essentially speaks of the ban on killing deer out of season. It is important to the Judge that deer are conserved during the "Teeming months"(76). This is when deer become scarce and their meat becomes thin. This law already exists, and is already becoming somewhat of a controversy in the town as many people are refusing to obey it. However, the Judge intends on passing many more laws to supplement this one: "Laws that were loudly called for, by judicious men; nor do I despair of getting an act, to make the unlawful felling of timber a criminal offense"(156). It is ironic to think that the Judge desires to make such laws that he has already broken. One might think that the reason he believes these laws should be put forward is to give incentive to himself and the rest of the town to resist the temptation they seem to always fall toward. It is as if he believes he would not be able to control himself if there were no legal consequences.

The Judge is also a very hypocritical character in the sense that he does not practice what he preaches. Yes, he expresses a concern for nature through his words, but his actions speak otherwise. The fact that he owns such an extravagant home that is much bigger than is needed is proof of this fact. The house is grand and beautiful, but it is contrasted by a much darker picture:

Natty is a very different person compared to Marmaduke Temple. He does not need laws to tell him when he can and cannot slay a deer, nor does he try to control that which does not belong to him. He trys to be a part of nature as much as he can. He believes that men are just like any other animal, only with more intelligence. This belief is seen in the way Natty hunts his prey. He exerts his utmost effort to put himself at the same level as the rest of nature. When he hunts, his prey is not just an animal, but his equal. In the few moments before Natty decides to slay the deer out of season, one can see this equality between the deer and the hunter. Cooper describes the deers movements as: "cutting the water most gallantly.. coming bravely towards him (Natty)" (305). The picture painted here is much different than the one seen during the slaughter of the pigeons or the fishing incident. As readers, we do not pity the deer. He was given a fair chance at life while the pigeons and fish never even saw it coming. Natty is, in a way, part of nature, living by his instincts and working only to survive. In one scene in the book, he is likened to his own dogs when they each express the same emotions toward the display of dead pigeons on the gr

Some common words found in the essay are:
Marmaduke Temple, Jones Judge, Despite Judges, Judge Temple, Richard Jones, Natty Bumppo, Approach Mohegan, Natty Judge, Judge Judge, Novel Pioneers, natural resources, laws nature, judge temple, deer season, concern nature, novel judge, slay deer, richard jones, richard jones judge, judge speaks, jones judge,

Approximate Word count = 2401
Approximate Pages = 10 (250 words per page double spaced)

Category: Novels