A Literary Interpretation of Snow Falling on Cedars

A Literary Interpretation of Snow Falling On Cedars David Guterson’s Snow Falling On Cedars is an outstanding book with an amazing story. It is very detailed. The book begins by making an absolute dispute for animosity, talking about the citizens of San Piedro Island. The setting of the book is very dark in the foggy winter of December, during a thick winter storm in 1954. In the courtroom, a murder trial is held against the accused, Kabuo Miyamoto, for supposedly murdering Carl Heine. As the story goes on, it goes back in the past to figure out the real story behind this “homicide”. Later, it is revealed that there is a deeper dispute between the Anglo-Americans and the Japanese people. This is just one story to the book. The other story is about love and the past. The past is never forgotten by a white boy named Ishmael Chambers, who is deeply in love and heart-broken by Hatsue Imada (the wife of the accused). There is obviously a racial tension to be noted (noting that this story takes place before, during, and after World War II). Hatred is formed around this racism in San Piedro Island. The love story in the book is revealed as a relationship that has not connected in the end. Though two people love each other does not mean that they are meant for each other. David Guterson’s idea of putting two stories in one is marvelous. His idea is essentially broken down into three things. One, it is to show us what were the 50s like. Two, it is to inform us of how the past can affect the future. Finally, it is to tell us how love cannot last under such conditions. What were the 50s like? According to the story (at that specific place), it was stormy and bogged-down by the weather. In terms of the community, they were a community is such moments but at another moment, strangers to each other. This quote shows a fine example of such case: “Ishmael Chambers knew, as he approached the knot of men gather before the Susan Marie, that he was not a part of this fraternity