Points of View

The story is told in third person omniscient. The reader is able to listen to many of the thought processes of the characters, including Judith, Hetty, Harry, and Rivenoak. However, the vast majority is devoted to Deerslayer. In the beginning of the novel, the characters are introduced by the author, who explains the time period as well as giving an overview of the region. The author makes great distinctions between the time of the novel and the present time in which the novel is written. He does this the most clearly in the beginning, but also inserts little comments here and there during the narrative.

Setting

The story is set in colonial New York in the early 1740s. All of the action takes place at Glimmerglass Lake, although significant background detail comes from the nearby Delaware tribal lands as well as the settlements and military garrisons...