writing a literary analysis essay snow falling on cedars

Snow Falling on Cedars by David Guterson Essay

Introduction.

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Snow Falling on the Cedars is a sensitive novel by David Guterson written in 1995. The novel is set in the year 1954 and is beautiful blend of courtroom drama and romance which takes place in a small town in Washington. The novel encompasses the lifestyle and dynamics of a fictitious community in the island of San Piedro, right after World War II. The story relates to the past and the present and has intricate and complex impact on the courtroom trial of the murder case of Kabuo Miyamoto. Kabuo Miyamoto has been arrested for the murder of a white local San Piedro fisherman Carl Heine. The central core of the story revolves around the trial of Kabuo Miyamoto, along with it is the portrayal of interracial love story, a war story and a mystery which needs to be resolved. The story unwraps gradually revealing the complexities and intricacies of the relationship in private and public. The story about the people of San Piedro is also slowly unwrapped and the writer has effectively chosen the flashback as the way to tell the story of the various characters. There is a very delicate integration of the historical references between Japanese American immigration and treatment during and after World War II.

The characteristic of the island is on the surface very sleepy and peaceful. The novel also explores the racial tensions which seethe under the surface of outer tranquility. The novel explores the prejudice which islanders harbored against Japanese Americans who lived in the community as a minority. The Japanese Americans were victims of prejudice during World War II. This was the outcome of the political and diplomatic relationship between Japan and America right after the bombing of the Pearl Harbor in 1941. Under this historical background United States had ordered the internment of people of Japanese origin in which more than two third were people who of American born citizens. Hatsue and her husband Kabuo were among them. As the process of enforcement of this internment, 100,000 Japanese Americans were forced to live in internment camps like prisoners of war under very poor living conditions and lot of hardship. They were sent to some remote areas evacuating their homes, work and possession. They felt that their civil rights were infringed upon by the American Government. When they were finally released and allowed to come back home they had no home, property and possession. They had to begin life from scratch. Miyamoto family was one among many who returned back home

and had no jobs, had lost their property, savings and their position in the community. Snow falling on the Cedars is based on this historical, political and diplomatic background which impacted the social scene around the time in 1954, when the trial of Japanese American Kabuo Miyamoto was taking place.

San Piedro is a small island near Washington, which is home of fishermen and strawberry farmers. It is home of many Japanese Americans. The storyline revolves around one Japanese American on trial Kabuo Miyamoto, who has been accused based on evidence of the murder weapon, for the murder of Carl Heine. The trial of Kabuo’s murder case is told in a chronological order, leading to the intricacies and the complexities of the relationships based on the historical background which is integrated with the investigation and the trial. The investigation revolves around the fact that a white fisherman named Carl Heine is found drowned in his own net with a serious head injury. Coincidentally, the last person who saw him alive is a Japanese American named Kabuo Miyamoto. Heine’s injuries suggest that sherrif look for “a Jap with a bloody gun butt” (Guterson, pg. 59). Murder weapon is found in Kabuo’s boat with bloodstain on the butt of the weapon. He is the main suspect of the murder trial. The trial takes place in the midst of deep anti-Japanese feelings which has been nurtured in the community since World War II. An important character in the novel is Ishmael Chambers who is a World War II veteran who lost his one arm fighting Japanese.

Ishmael Chambers is the reporter who is covering the trial, he sits in the courtroom and carefully observes the proceedings of the trial. Interestingly he still loves Hatsue, who is the defendant’s wife and has shared rapturous childhood experiences with Ishmael Chambers. Ishmael Chambers is torn between his tortured relationship with Hatsue and the facts and the proceedings of the trial. This is one of the major storylines depicting the interracial love story between Kabuo’s wife Hatsue and Ishmael Chambers, islands only reporter. The past has deep influence on the present trial and Ishamel Chambers plays a very important role in the determination of the outcome of the three day trial. Throughout the trial, the flashback stories are reflected upon and historical references are gathered to determine the real intend of the defendant.

Another dimension of the trial is the reference made regarding the possession of illegal land which involves the Heine’s family and Miyamoto family.

The story takes us back to pre-war period and legal understanding between Senior Heine, Carl’s father and Senior Miyamoto in reference to seven acres of land, which was leased based on ten year lease period. Just one more year’s payment was due when the war broke and Miyamoto’s had to be transferred to the interment camp. After the war when they finally came to claim their land it was found that illegally it was sold to another man by Etta Heines, who was a widow then and in charge of all her husbands landed property. The old lady held resentment against Miyamoto’s right from the beginning. Kabuo had been keen to buy back this landform the rightful owner, which happened to be Carl Heine, and proposed if he could get his land back. Carl agreed to think about it. This context of inter racial legal scenario and interracial love angle makes the story a complex story with regard to the outcome of the trial.

The two dimensions merge in the end to give final outcome of the trial. Interestingly the private love affair and the public legal land battle are the two driving forces which impact the outcome of the three day trial. The jury establishes that Kabuo had both motive and means to kill Carl. Evidence also places him at the scene of the crime. Everything points against his him and there is only one last minute information which Ishamel Chambers has can save Kabuo from this charge.

A very significant discovery is made by Ishmael the night before the end of the trial. He visits the lighthouse as the course of his investigation. He does this to get the story on the weather, and he finds notes from the night watchman that can clear Kabuo. It is upon Ishmael to decide what he wants to do, to keep the information to himself or use his newspaper to support the Kabuo’s case. The decision-making process of Ishmael defines his character and the turn of the story. The conclusion is based on the ethical and moral decision taken on the part of Ishmael to bring forth before the public the true chronological sequence of events which happened on the night of the murder as recorded by the night watchman in the lighthouse. The search for truth comes to an end and justice is established which clears Kabuo of the charges and brings peace and joy in the life of Hatsue. Ishmael Chambers also decides to make peace with his life and decides to go on with his life and make amends with Hatsue by surrendering his bitterness and resentment.

It can be said that Snow Falling on the Cedars is about the thoughts and the actions of three main characters Kabuo, Hatsue and Ishmael. It is largely a depiction of how the three characters find their firm ground and finally make the right decision to support the right cause. It is about their feelings and their responsibilities and their respective losses. It is also about learning to accept life and situations and recognize a sense of mutual indebtedness which gives the strength to survive through gravest injuries and betrayals. In an isolated community like San Piedro, “identity was geographic instead of blood”( Guterson, pg. 206). The snow falls on everyone who lives giving them a sense of identity which belongs only to this island. It is a community which thrives on kinship and acknowledgment of the truth in the light of surrendering the clouds of prejudice which covers the sunshine. The snow permits the light of truth to shine forth and dazzle the islanders with its grace and power. It is a story about human insight, courage and acceptance.

Guterson, David. Snow Falling on the Cedars: A Novel. Vintage. 1995.

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Snow Falling on Cedars Analysis

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• Snow Falling on Cedars

David Guterson

• Literature Notes
• Essay Questions
• Book Summary
• About Snow Falling on Cedars
• Character List
• Summary and Analysis
• Chapters 1-3
• Chapters 4-6
• Chapters 7-8
• Chapters 9-10
• Chapters 12-13
• Chapters 17-18
• Chapters 20-21
• Chapters 25-26
• Chapters 27-28
• Chapters 29-30
• David Guterson Biography
• Critical Essays
• Narrative Techniques: Guterson's Literary Form
• Guterson's Use of Details
• Depersonalization and Hate in Snow Falling on Cedars
• Plot of Snow Falling on Cedars
• Characters, Symbols, Motifs, and Themes in Snow Falling on Cedars
• Role of Gender in Snow Falling on Cedars
• Use of Duality in Snow Falling on Cedars
• Full Glossary for Snow Falling on Cedars
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Study Help Essay Questions

1. Kabuo's trial provides a framework for the plot of the novel and becomes an extended metaphor for issues of justice and injustice. Which are the most important judicial issues raised in the text? In Snow Falling on Cedars , is justice served both legally and morally?

2. Discuss the symbolism of snow, particularly during the trial, as well as the role of other types of weather experienced throughout Snow Falling on Cedars . How does Guterson use this weather motif to characterize various but interrelated themes found in the text?

3. Snow Falling on Cedars is often characterized as "a novel of place." What are the significant places in the text? What occurs in each? Compare and contrast the mood and tension found in the various settings and the role each provides in both character and plot development.

4. How does the novel's title characterize and symbolize the major themes of Guterson's text?

5. Guterson told People magazine that, as a writer, "I want to explore philosophical concerns." What are the major philosophical concerns in Snow Falling on Cedars ? Guterson differentiates between "asking questions" and "providing answers." What questions does he raise in the novel, and why doesn't he answer the questions he asks?

6. Racism is a central theme of the book. Which characters are most guilty of racist actions? Racist thoughts? Is there a difference? Are the Nisei, American children with Japanese parents, guilty of any form of racism? Are their parents?

7. Is Snow Falling on Cedars primarily a novel about a lost life, lost land, or a lost love? How are the threads of these diverse story lines woven together to provide the truth at Kabuo's trial?

8. Compare and contrast Guterson's description of the Japanese internment with that presented in Farewell to Manzanar, by Jeanne Wakatsuki Houston and James Houston. Focus on the perceptions that the different generations of Japanese-Americans had of the American government. How has this experience subsequently shaped their lives?

9. Snow Falling on Cedars is considered literary fiction. What distinguishes literary fiction from popular fiction? Which elements of literary fiction are best illustrated in the novel? What other contemporary novels are classified as literary fiction?

10. Compare and contrast the character development of the protagonist in Snow Falling on Cedars with that in The Shipping News, by E. Annie Proulx. Besides both being newspapermen, what do Ishmael Chambers and Quoyle have in common, particularly because both are the unlikely heroes of their respective tales? Why were both Snow Falling on Cedars and The Shipping News literary award winners?

11. Guterson has admitted the influence that Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird, his favorite book, has had on his life and his writing. What are the strongest similarities between Snow Falling on Cedars and To Kill a Mockingbird, and how does Guterson use Lee's text as a springboard for his own storytelling?

12. Although Snow Falling on Cedars is set in 1954, some of the thematic issues play an important role in society today. Do the issues raised in the novel transcend time and place and therefore affect the present, or is the novel depicting a part of history that has no direct bearing on contemporary society?

13. What is the significance of Ishmael's name? As a character, how is he related to the narrator of Moby Dick and the Old Testament brother to Isaac, son of Abraham?

14. Snow Falling on Cedars appears to focus primarily on male characters — Kabuo, Ishmael, Carl — but two women play pivotal roles. Determine the significance Hatsue and Etta have in the events that transpire, particularly how the novel's past pertains to its present time. How do Hatsue and Etta reflect the role that women have in their respective societies?

15. What is revealed and/or explained in the last line of Snow Falling on Cedars : "Accident ruled every corner of the universe except the chambers of the human heart," and why is it significant that Ishmael had this understanding?

16. Guterson tells several stories in one in Snow Falling on Cedars : Hatsue and Ishmael's romance; Kabuo's trial; the effect of World War II on the men who served; the treatment of the Japanese on San Piedro, particularly during World War II; Hatsue's coming to terms with her ethnicity; and the land struggle between the Heines and the Miyamotos. Choose one of these story lines and answer the following questions. If Guterson had told only this story, how would the novel have been different? How would it be the same? Could Guterson tell only one story without bringing in the others? Would the ending be different? Would you perceive any of the characters differently?

17. If you were a member of the jury, would you have voted Kabuo guilty or not guilty? Why or why not? Remember that as a jury member you have no knowledge of the lighthouse records or of any conversations outside the courtroom. Concentrating only on the testimony and the questioning, assign and defend your verdict.

18. Kabuo, a Japanese-American, fought Germans during the war; Carl, a German, fought the Japanese during the war. Why did Guterson choose to have these characters fight against the opposite racial group? If Kabuo and Carl had fought against men who shared their own ethnic backgrounds, how might their relationship have been different? Would Kabuo's guilt be greater if he'd killed other Japanese?

19. Guterson makes no mention of the atomic bombing of Japan in Snow Falling on Cedars , yet in 1954 all the characters would be painfully aware of the way the war ended. Why does Guterson omit that aspect of World War II? How would the story be different if he had included the bombing? How would the characters, especially the island's Japanese and people like Etta Heine, be different?

20. Compare Nels Gudmundsson with Ishmael Chambers. How are the men alike? How are they different? Although they both reluctantly help Kabuo, are their motivations ultimately the same? Would either man feel differently if Kabuo were a White man? What if Kabuo was White and Carl Japanese? Would Nels act differently if Kabuo hired him? Would Ishmael react differently if Kabuo wasn't Hatsue's husband? As Nels and Ishmael ultimately come to grips with the reality of their lives, how are their responses and choices similar or different?

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Snow Falling on Cedars

Snow Falling on Cedars by David Guterson: Theme Analysis

Relationships can end up with consequences whether there with parents or strangers. In the story “Snow Falling on Cedars” by David Guterson he explores and dives deep into this theme by using Hatsue and Ishmael’s relationship as an example. Hatsue started the relationship behind her mother’s back and it’s coming back to hurt her, at the same time her mother is limiting her by trying to help her. Fujiko needs to realize as people become older including her daughter they have to take responsibility for their actions. Her trying to fix it herself isn’t the right thing for her to do, it should be Hatsue doing it herself. At a point in time people have to become responsible for their own actions and need to take care of and deal with their own situations; Hatsue is the one that is trying to handle it herself and her mother is the one not letting her do it.

Hatsue’s been hiding the relationship with Ishmael, she doesn’t know whether her parents would approve or not. When she decided to start being with Ishmael she was much younger and wasn’t thinking right, in her older age she knows it’s not right but Fujiko doesn’t see it that way. She says Hatsue doesn’t know what she’s doing when she says “deceiving me is only half of it. You have deceived yourself too”, she knows that Hatsue is still young and learning but doesn’t think she can take care of it herself. Hatsue instead of denying it immediately says she was hiding this from her family, she isn’t as passionate and headstrong about her and Ishmael’s relationship now than when she was when she decided to hide it from her parents. In that time frame she has realized that risking her parent’s trust for something she doesn’t know if she wants or not isn’t worth it, her understanding has improved enough for her to know what is worth fighting for and what isn’t. Her mother isn’t allowing the relationship not because she doesn’t like it but because it was behind her back, she is being overprotective of her daughter. It’s evident that Hatsue is mature enough to take responsibility for the irresponsible decisions she has made; she has changed from when she made the initial decision to present time where she can take responsibility for the consequences.

Instead of letting her mother, Fujiko, end the relationship, Hatsue decides to end it herself. Under the pressure of her mother ending the relationship her choice reveals more about her character and the qualities she has that her mother thinks she doesn’t. The reaction to open up and tell her mother the truth of what she wants to do, her motivation, and how it’s better for her to do it herself shows how much shes progressed to become an adult. She started the relationship behind her parent’s backs and telling no one about it to owning up to it and wanting to end it herself. Hatsue reflects and tells her mother the reasons that she made the choice showing her ability to make someone else understand why and what her thought process was for her to act like the way she did. The thoughts on the train show her indecisiveness and how even though she risked things for them to be together behind their families backs she knows that it isn’t something she should have done and it’s something she needs to own up to herself. That indecisiveness is something she recognizes she had for too long and didn’t help her situation; that ability to self reflect and know what a person have done wrong when it is themselves shows that they can be held responsible and take of their own actions. Hatsue is that person and Fujiko isn’t letting her be the woman she is, she is still treating her as a child. Hatsue’s shown that she is a grown adult by expressing and telling her mother what and why she had taken those actions, her motivations were childish and she knows that. The outcome of her actions is that her mother lets her end that relationship herself. Fujiko has evidence that her daughter isn’t a small child she has to baby and take care of, its both of there faults for being in the situation and they are both in the wrong. Hatsue knows that she has left the problem unattended for too long and that she made a dumb decision, her character has developed to become more dynamic. The way she thinks and takes actions has changed because she knows that old decisions can end up affecting her relationships with her friend Ishmael and her mother Fujiko. Fujiko has changed as well from Hatsue’s actions, her daughter has changed from one person to another in her head. While Hatsue is still learning and unexperienced her mother now knows that not letting her take care of her problems herself is more harmful than helpful, Hatsue is at that point that she has to take responsibility and deal with the consequences of her own actions; Fujiko isn’t helping by taking care of it herself. That’s why at the climax of the story Fujiko lets Hatsue cut off ties with Ishmael herself, it’s in her best intentions to help Hatsue become an adult. Hatsue has become an adult that can take care of her own actions and responsibilities, it’s clearly shown through the entirety of the story.

The story “Snow Falling on Cedar” deals with the theme of people like Hatsue having to transition into a more responsible and mature person but being limited by an overbearing parent. Fujiko wants her child to become an adult but didn’t see it was her limiting Hatsue, in the end of the story Hatsue has convinced her that she was doing it wrong. By being able to tell her mother the reasons why and what her intentions were to do now she managed to convince Fujiko that it’s best for her to end the relationship with Ishmael herself, she made the decision to start it and she should be the one to end it. That time frame between when she started it and now when she is ending it shows how she has become a much different person. She knows that her indecisiveness isn’t something she should let linger and that the choices she makes have consequences that she has to deal with. Hatsue is someone that can take those consequences and deal with them, Fujiko now knows that she can trust Hatsue to do the right thing. She isn’t a child anymore, she is a fully capable adult that can do things herself

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The Theme of Reason and Chance in Snow Falling on Cedars

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