Snow Falling On Cedars ~ Post 2

::Snow Falling On Cedars - Post 2::

Judge Lew Fielding's courtroom, where the trial is taking place, illustrates the racial divide between the Japanese and the islanders. The Japanese people sit in the rear of the court room because, "San Piedro required it of them without calling it a law" (Guterson, 75). This illustrates how much racial tension is on the island which helps show what Kabuo (the accused man) is up against. This point really stuck out to me because it created a sense, for me at least, that a majority of the people living on the island are automatically assuming that Kabuo Miyamoto is guilty just because of his race. It shows how the Japanese were automatically considered second-class citizens. This major conflict has always been present in his life and many hardships have been created because of it.

In the last chapters that I have read, I learned more about Hatsue, Kabuo's wife. Hatsue, during a break in the trial wishes to speak to her husband alone, but she isn't able to. Hatsue had grown up on the island and is a character full of grace and beauty. We learn that she now feels older and needs to wear makeup. Hatsue is very caring for her husband Kabuo and very devout. They were married in an internment camp. Also, the author strongly demonstrates that all American citizens came from immmigrant families illustrating that racism in unnecessiary because we are all equal on that level. This is illustrated when Carl's (the guy who was supposedly murdered) mother, Etta Heine takes the stand and tells about how her husband sold 7 acres of land to Kabuo and she was against it. This shows how she was taught to hate Japanese people just because they were different from her. This is also shown through Hatsue because she was taught at a young age to distrust anyone who was different from her. Racism is now brought into a new light; there's racism comming from both sides.

Snow Falling on Cedars overall relates to the rebellion theme because it is illustrated through the general hardships of the Japanese on the island. Many of them have faced racism and have felt unequal just because of their race. Kabuo, as an accused Japanese man faces the trial with the hard knowledge that there are many people who hate him not only because of what happened, but also because of his race. There is a sense of rebellion that surrounds the trial as people of the island start to stand up for Kabuo by going against the "social norm."