Snow Falling on Cedars

Kabuo Miyamoto’s trial draws to a close as Kabuo and other key witnesses testify, furthering the theme of Justice and Truth Seeking as the truth of Carl’s death is finally revealed. While, up to this point, the novel has primarily presented the prosecution’s case, the shift to the defense’s side brings doubt to the state’s claim that Kabuo killed Carl Heine in an act of premeditated murder. The picture painted by Kabuo’s testimony demonstrates the unwritten code that fishermen follow—they assist their fellow fisherman at sea no matter what. As such, despite the tension between Kabuo and Carl due to their disagreement over the seven acres, their exchange is cordial, and Kabuo suggests Carl is genuinely grateful for his help. Though Carl voices his inability to see past Kabuo’s Japanese ancestry, which furthers the theme of Racism and Enemies, he agrees to sell the seven acres back to Kabuo, thus removing any motive for Kabuo to harm him. Further, Carl establishes himself as a non-enemy and perhaps even a friend, recalling a pre-war memory with Kabuo before his own feelings toward Japanese people were hardened during his time in active duty. While Carl has displayed racist behaviors, he is not a clear-cut enemy whatsoever, and perhaps their shared occupation allows Carl to humanize Kabuo, thus leading to their deal over the seven acres.

As the jury deliberates, it becomes clear that the verdict could go either way, again signaling to the theme of Justice and Truth Seeking, as Kabuo’s own recollection of the night has now been revealed. However, the preexisting prejudices add nuance to this case, underscoring the fact that people carry their own feelings and projections into situations that they have no firsthand knowledge of. As such, the truth is sometimes never reached in a court of law, and the danger of this reality is heightened through a post-war lens of distrust and discrimination. Indeed, there are some among the observers who would likely be happy to see Kabuo imprisoned even if they were not certain of his guilt, thus highlighting the theme of Racism and Enemies, as well as characters like Etta who embody this theme. Indeed, the jury’s deliberations continuing into the next day heightens the novel’s tension, demonstrating the complicated nature of this murder case between a white man and a Japanese American rival fisherman in post-war America.

The snowstorm further enhances the plot by forcing Ishmael to check on his mother, which touches on the theme of Parental Expectations and Family Legacy. Ishmael’s mother urges him to write about the case and its racist elements, as it is what his father would have done. Throughout the novel, Ishmael’s father is remembered as a good, level-headed man who remained outwardly unaffected by racist rhetoric during the war. Though Ishmael loves Kabuo’s wife and perhaps sees in Kabuo his enemies from the war, he is asked to live up to his father’s expectation of himself and the newspaper. Moreover, as Ishmael searches through his childhood mementos, he reencounters the letter from Hatsue, ultimately leading him to reveal the Coast Guard report to Hatsue and her family. It can be inferred that Ishmael’s love for Hatsue is what drives him to save her husband. Indeed, as he revisits the hollow cedar tree where they would meet before the war, Ishmael seems to come to terms with the present and is finally let go of the past. Ishmael recognizes that Hatsue’s commitment to her husband means their adolescent relationship will never be rekindled. Regardless of Hatsue’s true feelings for Ishmael—as she clearly feels something for him, urging him to marry and have children after kissing him goodbye—he will not win her back. As such, the trial has forced Ishmael to reconcile his life decisions and resolve to move forward rather than bring down Kabuo and Hatsue. Indeed, Ishmael is a complex character and a representation of the after effects of war; at times, he feels disappointed in returning to Amity Harbor and working at his father’s newspaper. Ishmael feels that he should have accomplished more and that something was taken from him during the war, and he cannot disassociate this loss from the Japanese people. Yet, as he recalls how respected and admired his father was by all of Amity Harbor’s citizens, Ishmael makes peace with his position among the community and all of its inhabitants, thus resolving the theme of Racism and Enemies.

As Ishmael observed, Hatsue is unshakably dedicated to her husband and to proving his innocence. Indeed, it is her insight and quick thinking about the likely presence of a lantern on the mast of Heine’s boat that prompts the sheriff, who is notably led by Ishmael, to search the boat once again. She has insisted that Ishmael use his position as a reporter to assert the truth; at the end of the novel, finally, Ishmael does just that, writing the news story that reports of Kabuo’s innocence as it explains the nature of Carl Heine’s accidental death.

Kabuo’s exoneration is a triumph for justice, suggesting that, in some stories, the truth wins out over prejudice and false claims. In revealing the true cause of Heine’s death, Ishmael plays a role in returning some of the stolen humanity and dignity to the Miyamoto and Imada families, who have experienced imprisonment and now false accusations of murder. Indeed, the “amity” of Amity Harbor suggests that through friendship and camaraderie, perhaps the town may once again return to being a community filled with neighborly citizens who care for and support one another. Moreover, this case has served as a humbling reminder of the dangers of unchecked emotion in post-war years, which, even in this small community, can quickly grow to discrimination. This verdict provides closure to Kabuo, who harbors guilt for his part in the war, and it allows Ishmael to let Hatsue go. While these two men could have easily been fixed as rivals or even enemies, Ishmael chooses humanity, and the entire community bears witness to this act of good faith. Snow Falling on Cedars is a hopeful story of cautious forgiveness, as it depicts resolution between Kabuo and Carl Heine, both in life and in the verdict.