Snow Falling On Cedars Analysis
Characterization
The protagonist in Snow Falling on Cedars is Ishmael Chambers. Ishmael Chambers is the local reporter of San Piedro Island and is Hatsue Miyamoto’s, wife of the accused, childhood sweetheart. Through direct characterization, the narrator describes Chambers as “a man of thirty-one with a hardened face, a tall man with the eyes of a war veteran. He had only one arm , the left having been amputated ten inches below the shoulder joint, so that he wore the sleeve of his coat pinned up with the cuff fastened to the elbow” (Guterson, pg.7). Chambers is insecure and resentful about his missing arm, the narrator states “He was keenly aware of his pinned up sleeve, and troubled because it troubled other people. Since they could not forget about it, neither could he” (Guterson, pg.31). Chambers is a kind and compassionate man. He did not show …show more content…
Throughout the novel the narrator tells the story through flashbacks, present events, and thoughts from different characters. The point of view of the story affects the telling of the story by allowing readers to understand what each character is thinking and why they act the way they do. The narrator describes Ishmaels thoughts toward Hatsue by stating, “There were times when she went cold and silent and he felt her distance from him so completely that it seemed impossible to reach her. Even when he held her it seemed to him there was a place in her heart he couldn’t get to”(Guterson,pg. 172.). The audience is left wondering why Hatsue is so cold towards Ishmael. However, Hatsue's thoughts are explained when the narrator states, “What she felt remained a mystery, she felt a thousand things at once, she could not understand the thread of her feelings with enough certainty to speak with any accuracy”(Guterson, pg. 201-202). The point of view of the narrator allows the audience to learn more about each character and understand their actions
The protagonist in Snow Falling on Cedars is Ishmael Chambers. Ishmael Chambers is the local reporter of San Piedro Island and is Hatsue Miyamoto’s, wife of the accused, childhood sweetheart. Through direct characterization, the narrator describes Chambers as “a man of thirty-one with a hardened face, a tall man with the eyes of a war veteran. He had only one arm , the left having been amputated ten inches below the shoulder joint, so that he wore the sleeve of his coat pinned up with the cuff fastened to the elbow” (Guterson, pg.7). Chambers is insecure and resentful about his missing arm, the narrator states “He was keenly aware of his pinned up sleeve, and troubled because it troubled other people. Since they could not forget about it, neither could he” (Guterson, pg.31). Chambers is a kind and compassionate man. He did not show …show more content…
Throughout the novel the narrator tells the story through flashbacks, present events, and thoughts from different characters. The point of view of the story affects the telling of the story by allowing readers to understand what each character is thinking and why they act the way they do. The narrator describes Ishmaels thoughts toward Hatsue by stating, “There were times when she went cold and silent and he felt her distance from him so completely that it seemed impossible to reach her. Even when he held her it seemed to him there was a place in her heart he couldn’t get to”(Guterson,pg. 172.). The audience is left wondering why Hatsue is so cold towards Ishmael. However, Hatsue's thoughts are explained when the narrator states, “What she felt remained a mystery, she felt a thousand things at once, she could not understand the thread of her feelings with enough certainty to speak with any accuracy”(Guterson, pg. 201-202). The point of view of the narrator allows the audience to learn more about each character and understand their actions