如果我們回顧十九世紀早期，美國剛脫離英國獨立之初，將可發現美國國族主義的開展過程與二次世界戰後獨立之第三世界國家相較，有其相似處境，只是面臨的難題不同。第三世界的後殖民國家在主體性的追求上面臨的大抵是努力脫除過去殖民主強加於其體表之面具，以回復舊有文化膚色，彼與此的文化屬性涇渭分明；然而作為歐洲殖民後裔之美國所面臨的卻是在彼與此之間顧盼失據的困境：因為與歐洲祖國肌裡相連，掀去外皮後主體已然闕如，因此在革命成功後，美國便亟需創造一全新面貌，以與其歐洲父兄識別。為建立自我主體性，美國人開始發展在地主義（nativism），然而此在地屬性卻因為印地安人的存在而有發展上的侷限。美國國家主體性發展的早期飽受此兩大他者（the Other）的威脅，而庫柏（James Fenimore Cooper）的「皮襪」故事系列（the Leatherstocking series）可說是此「既不在此，也未達彼」（the in-between）主體危機的典型標記。本論文擬從「皮襪」故事系列前後期敘述框架的轉移為出發點，來討論美國國家主體建構初期的困境，以及庫柏在面對國家此困境時所做的努力與所流露的意識型態曖昧處。

The “post-colonial” dilemma the Americans faced in the early nineteenth century is of a different nature from that of Third-World countries. Unlike those countries, which have a pre-colonial cultural tradition to appeal to, European Americans share the same languages, religion, skin color, and even blood with their European forefathers. How could the former colonists be able to feel their new identity? To distinguish themselves from their European forefathers, the political leaders launched a cultural nativism. But the movement was greatly threatened by the existence of native Americans. European Americans had an unspeakable fear that the putting on of a local color might taint their white quality and turn them into barbarians. To strike a balance between the European and the Indian Other became the source of the identity crisis confronting the new republic in search of an American self. James Fenimore Cooper’s Leatherstocking series can be seen as a sign of this “in-between” national subjectivity. Exploring the shift of narrative framework in different phases of the Leatherstocking series, this paper will discuss the plight in American nationalism and the ideological ambivalence Cooper reveals in the attempt to produce a national narrative.