Nobility in Self-Sacrifice
Deerslayer epitomizes the idea of self-sacrifice as he repeatedly exposes himself to danger in order to defend the other members of his party, especially the women. He repeatedly defends them all at risk of personal harm or even death at the hands of the natives. Finally, the novel ends with him returning to the Mingos to fulfill his sentence of condemnation. This noble act is rewarded with his life, as the chiefs spare him. Due to his honor in returning and sacrificial protection of Hetty, he will be trained as a warrior in the tribe.
Feminism
Hetty, Judith, and Hist are the only women portrayed in the novel. They share a kinship with one another, despite the difference in their races, because they are all mutually oppressed by the social expectations of their role in society as women. The men expect them to behave a certain way, possess a certain amount of intelligence, and forgive all masculine faults in exchange for their manly protection and provision. While the women may appreciate their male counterparts and even love them, they resent the social expectations under which they suffer. This allows them to commiserate together from this common ground.
Religion in Nature
Deerslayer is a devout Christian, expressing his theological views multiple times throughout the book. He and Judith discuss their respective views about faith quite a bit in their friendship. To Deerslayer, the truest expression of religion is found in nature, God's creation. He doesn't believe faith if confined to the building or liturgical structure of a church but should instead encompass all of nature. Because of his relationship with the earth from hunting and tracking, he believes in and worships God. Judith's views are more conventional, but she admires Deerslayer's commitment to his convictions.
Racism
Hurry Harry is repeatedly described as a racist. He despises the Native Americans like only a man raised in hateful supremacist ideology can. Accordingly to his culture, Hurry is superior to the natives, so he loathes them for their accomplishments. He views them as competition, for food, land, and women. Naturally this sense of rivalry breeds contempt between him and people of different races, whom he doesn't understand nor trust.
