snow faliing on cedars racism Essay -- essays research papers

In a community of five thousand damp souls (Guterson 5) as described by David Guterson in his novel, Snow Falling on Cedars. A community that concentrated a variety of ethnicity, among them was both Whites and Japanese. As a effect of the racial differences, racism has came into existences and have impacted the life of both children and adult in that isolated island called San Piedro. It is responsible for the internment of Kabuo, Hatsue, and their families, the breakup of Hatsue and Ishmael, Kabuos loss of his land, and perhaps for his indictment for murder.Before the war years, Kabuos father, Zenhichi made an illegal agreement with the victims father, Carl Heine senior. It was an agreement to an eight-year lease-to-own contract. Money changed hands, land was promised and terms were set. Unfortunately, the war came and the Japanese Americans were sent away to internment camp. nobody was quite the same at wars end. When the Miyamoto has returned to claim their land, they had found out that the victims mother, Etta, cheated them. She sold their seven acres of strawberry land to another farmer, because of pretermit of the last payment during their removal. This disreputable action she took, was caused by her racist thoughts that she had toward Japanese. This has been demonstrated out in her conversation with her husband, she said, Were not such paupers as to sell to Japs, ar we? For new clothes? For a pouch of fancy pipe tobacco? (Guterson 119). Because of her being racist, it had cost the land of the Miyamoto and raised tension between the two families and created a motive for Kabuo to commit murder to Ettas son as for revenge and to release his anger.     Snow Falling on Cedars opens up in the middle of Kabuo Miyamotos trail. A trail that deals with a first degree murder case, that Kabuo was being accused of murder of a white fellow fisherman by the notice of Carl Heine. In this murder case, racism has played a very important role in a ffecting the judgement and outcome of the trail. As being Japanese, Kabuo has been lay under a very unpleasant circumstance. The evidences founded had lead the investigator, Sheriff Art Moran to believe that Kabuo was somehow suspicious. Together with the judgement made by the coroner of the wound on the victims head, which was predominantly affected by his racist thought toward Japanese.... ...their son and daughter to date or have interracial marriage. Despite the racial differences and their parents disapproval, they still carry on their relationship in behind their parents back. But as time goes, their relationship could no longer be sustained. The exposure of the riddle letter that Ishmael wrote to Hatsue had led to the end of their relationship. When Fujiko, Hatsues mother discovered the letter, she told herself, "She would put an end to this business." (Guterson 227).As a matter of fact, racism has played a turgid role in the novel. It has affected the life of Hat sue, Ishmael, Kabuo and their families, and it is responsible for the loss of Kabuos seven acres of strawberry land, and made Kabuo being accused of the murder of Carl Heine. If the multitude were not racist, things would not have happened as the way it has been. The murder trail of Kabuo would have never taken place. Hatsue and Ishmael would have been a happy bridge together. As for Kabuo himself, he would have inherited the strawberry field and continue on to be a farmer like his father. But this is how things are in this world. Nothing is perfect. There is always a negative side to everything.