The Transformation of Ishmael in Snow Falling on Cedars :: Snow Falling Cedars Essays

The Transformation of outcast in Snow Falling on CedarsWhat can be said about a novel of much(prenominal) luminance as Snow Falling on Cedars that has not already been said? Certainly it is a work of much vision and brainwave and speaks volumes about prejudice and race. The wordplay of Guterson creates a world of vivid reality-it surrounds the lecturer with sights, smells and a invitely defined sense of touch. Perhaps lost amidst the smells of the strawberry fields, the cold of the winter storm, and the deep social statements about the nature and quirk of prejudice is the fact that this beautifully crafted story of immense complexity is in reality a very simple story about the individuation of one man. Guterson himself says, Post-modernism is dead because it didnt address human needs. The conventional story endures because it does. Im interest in themes that endure from generation to generation (qtd. in Kanner). This oblige is a conventional story, a simple story abo ut the internal skirmish of Ishmael Chambers as he struggles with himself. This is made evident in the subtle and not too subtle comparisons made between Ishmael and other characters. Taking all of this into account reveals that the true theme of the book centers on the transformation of Ishmael from weak to strong.First, who is Ishmael Chambers? He is the son of a very well-respected and prominent citizen of San Piedro, Arthur Chambers. When Arthur dies, Ishmael takes over the origin as the local news reporter. He is introduced into the story as a journalist in the trial of Kabuo Miyamoto and appears to remain aloof, a passive third base person eye that would analyze the information impartially. In addition to beingness a reporter, Ishmael is also a war veteran with a missing limb as a souvenir to boot. The reader gets the intuitive feeling that Ishmael plays a small and minor role in the coming(prenominal) plot. This, however, is false. As the book gathers momentum, it becomes increasingly clear that Ishmael ties into the fabric of the effect of the story-from the childhood and young adult romance between Hatsue and him, to the emotional pic where his arm is amputated, to the final climax where he discovers the evidence that can clear Kabuos name, Ishmael is the crux on which the storyline hinges.