Snow Falling on Cedars

In David Guterson's novel Snow falling on cedars, he used the trial of a Japanese-American man Kabuo Miyamoto, who accused of killing a white fisherman Carl to explore the racial tensions between Japanese-American and American. The trail shows the prejudice between two races and the unfairness towards Japanese-American. The tragic love story between the protagonist and the Japanese girl reflects the cultural difference and due to the society they are unable to be together. The cultural diversion between the Japanese-American and white American illustrates the discrimination and prejudice in the society.

The main conflict of the novel is whether Kabuo Miyamoto is guilty for the murder of Carl Heine and protagonist-Ishmael Chambers struggles to overcome his feelings towards Hatsue and the tension between two races.

In the beginning of the novel, the protagonist valued the love between he and Hatsue. He is still in love with Hatsue and he couldn't let the feelings go. Through the trail, he flashbacks to the days with Hatsue that she has an important position in his heart. In chapter 13, protagonist said "Don't let this hurt us, I don't care about what's happening in the world we're not going to let this hurt us." This shows the protagonist is idealism, naive and innocent that he thought they will maintain their romance after she is sent to the internment camp and overcome challenges. However, Hatsue is realistic, she valued Japanese tradition from what her mother indoctrinated. She is dishonored and not proud of falling in love with protagonist and decided get married to a same race as her. The rejection of love and the experience in World War 2 had let protagonist felt lost and cold, he was unhappy and went numb. He has a resentful feeling towards Japanese, the revengeful feelings and the love towards Hatsue turned him living in a miserable life. Though Hatsue has moved on, he is still not yet married and have children. Later, Guterson reveals a critical...