Snow Falling On Cedars By David Guterson

Snow Falling on Cedars, by David Guterson, is a story about a murder trial on San Piedro Island during the 1960s. Kabuo Miyamoto, a Japanese American, is charged with the murder of his childhood friend, Carl Heine. Through the use of flashbacks, the author tells about the island’s dark past and the love affair between Ishmael Chambers and Hatsue Miyamoto. Throughout the story, the author uses metaphors and symbolism to express the theme of the story. Though cultural differences and prejudices are present in society, love has the power to diminish them.
In Snow Falling on Cedars, Kabuo Miyamoto is married to Hatsue. However, through flashbacks, the audience discovers that Kabuo was not Hatsue’s first love. As a child, Hatsue was in love with Ishmael Chambers, the local reporter. Because of cultural differences, Hatsue and Ishmael’s love was looked down upon. The young couple would have to sneak off into the cedar woods and hide in a hollowed out cedar tree just so they could be together without

Heine agrees to let Miyamoto make yearly payments on the land until his son, Kabuo, is of age to own land. Carl Heine was a kind and loving man. When Carl was judged by his wife for selling their land, Carl stated, “to me it don’t make one bit of difference which way it is their eyes slant. I don’t give a damn ‘bout that, Etta. People is People, comes down to it. And these are clean-living people. Nothing wrong with them” (Guterson, pg.120). Carl Heine symbolises compassion in society. Heine could have easily kept his land, however, he understood the hardships that the Japanese people had to face. He understood that no other person on the island would be willing to sell their land to a Japanese immigrant. Carl Heine was not prejudice, he showed love towards the Miyamoto's and was able to make a positive impact on their