Critical Evaluation
David Guterson’s Snow Falling on Cedars contains a number of intersecting themes. First is the love theme between Ishmael Chambers and Hatsue Miyamoto that serves as both a bridge between the two cultural and racial groups and an example of how unbridgeable the gulf ultimately turns out to be. Second is the broader theme of community prejudice against the Japanese, which is brought to the surface by the entry of the United States into World War II. Third is the presence of a snowstorm, an event that underlies the tensions engendered by the trial of Kabuo Miyamoto.
The love affair between Ishmael and Hatsue complicates the narrative by creating a conflict of interest when Ishmael discovers the exculpating evidence. If he withholds it, and if Kabuo is convicted, then perhaps Ishmael will be able to rekindle his affection for Hatsue. Ishmael must overcome this rather pathetic state of mind to assume the mantle of his father. The love affair also provides an example of how children can transcend the prejudice of their parents. The affair also highlights differences that may prove insurmountable. In this case, Ishmael’s immaturity and Hatsue’s untenable situation—being confined at Manzanar—also play a part in the disillusion of their relationship. The love theme then works in multiple ways to inform the narrative.
Ishmael’s problems are compounded by his disability caused by war. The loss of his arm makes him less of a man, both symbolically and psychologically. His name, too, takes on multiple meanings. The famous opening line of Herman Melville’s novel Moby Dick: Or, The Whale (1851) is “Call me Ishmael.” Ishmael is the survivor of the destruction of the Pequod; he is the one who tells the tale of the disaster at sea. Guterson’s Ishmael is a teller of tales as well. He is a reporter.
The second large-scale theme of the novel is racial prejudice. Guterson’s sympathies are against the prejudice inflicted on the local Japanese minority, a prejudice that has existed in the area since the late nineteenth century, when Asians worked on the West Coast as laborers. The attack on Pearl Harbor provides a catalyst that brings the racism to the surface.
The trial of Kabuo takes place in December, and Guterson uses a snowstorm to represent the upheaval the trial engenders. This use of the weather, as in William Shakespeare’s Macbeth (pr. 1606, pb. 1623), in which the winds blow and the storm mounts as crimes multiply, symbolizes something bigger than a snowstorm: The blowing snow, which obliterates everything in its path, leads to the loss of electricity in town, including the courtroom. The snowstorm blinds justice, just as racial prejudice blinds the community and the courtroom. It is as if nature itself is angry that justice is being denied in the court.
Get Ahead with eNotes
Start your 48-hour free trial to access everything you need to rise to the top of the class. Enjoy expert answers and study guides ad-free and take your learning to the next level.
Already a member? Log in here.