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."

Just another post on MEMOIRS

Why do people write memoirs?
What power is there in telling our own stories?


People write memoirs because they want to protray their emotions towards situations in their life. People write memoirs to reflect on their life and help teach what they have learned to others. I believe that people write memoirs also for enjoyment purposes and for the love of writing. I think people write memoirs because they are easy to write because it's from their past experiences and a reflection of their life.

The power in telling our own stories is that it reveals more about yourself and gives a person a chance to reflect on their life. In doing so, good messages can be produced and life lessons taught. Memoirs have personal believes which you might not get from other types of writing.

YEAH MEMOIRS!

::Snow Falling on Cedars::

Outside Reading Book First Post --- Quarter 1

My outside reading book is titled "Snow Falling on Cedars" and is was written by David Gutterson.

In the book "Snow Falling On Cedars", an accused man by the name of Kabuo faces his trial as a Japanese man in the midst of racial tensions on the San Piedro Island in 1954. Kabuo was accused for the murder of a local fisherman named Carl Heine. Carl Heine's boat, the Susan Marie was found stranded with all of its lights on. The county sheriff, Art Morgan was called on the morning of Carl's death (September 16, 1954) with his deputy Abel. On the Susan Marie, Carl could not be found, so Art and Abel put the fish net into the water and found Carl dead hanging on the fish net by his rain gear buckles. When he was out of the water, the sheriff noticed that Carl had been crushed about his left ear.

After Art Morgan testified, Nels Gudmundsson (the attorney who had been appointed to defend Kabuo Miyamoto) cross examines Art of the possibility that Carl's head could have been banged after his death in the process of bringing him out of the water due to his weight.

Shorty after this in the book we learn about Ishmael Chambers who is a writer for the San Piedro Review and is going to be writing an article about the trial.

Then, Horace Whaley, the town coronor is brought to the stand and testify's that Carl was breathing when he hit the water meaning he wasn't dead before he went overboard. This gives the jury more to think about because it means that maybe Carl's head injury was caused when the sheriff was bringing him out of the water, not previously. This could mean he just simply drowned.

Snow Falling on Cedars" as of so far is an excellent book, and I can't wait to see what happens next. I really enjoy how the author slowly brings in more of the story without first offering what actually happened, leaving you to figure it out.

Black Boy post NUMBER 2!

What types of things does Richard "hunger" for
and what are the effects (positive and negative) of hunger?

Richard hungers for not only physical food, but also for fatherly affection and for societal knowledge. Richard, towards the beginning of the book associates his hunger with the absence of his father. Richard wants, or "hungers" for fatherly affection and for a father figure in his life. The effect of this hunger is that Richard is negatively angered at his father, or upset with himself for wanting his affection after he left him. Richard craves fatherly affection because his mother doesn't "satisfy" his hunger for affection.

Secondly, Richard hungers for food. Since his in malnurished, he seeks ways to get his hands on as much food as he can. As he realizes his hunger is always with him, he also notices the negative affects to his lack of food when he states, "But this new hunger baffeled me, scared me, made me angry and insisten" (Wright 14).

Lastly, Richard hungers for societal knowledge. The main example that stands out is his "hunger" to understand the racial divide between blacks and whites. At first he is naive and doesn't thinks that there possibly could be good white people, but then he begins to question their motives and to understand what the difference between blacks and whites actually is.

~Question Numero Uno~

Is Richard a "bad" boy? When should behavior be blamed on the person and when should it be blamed on the environment?

In my opinion, Richard is not a "bad" boy. Yes, he does do many things that are inappropriate such as kill a cat, wander to saloons, get drunk, run away from an orphanage, and yell obscenities and write naughty words on windows. That could be enough evidence to point and say, yes, Richard is a "bad" boy, but in my opinion, he just didn't know any better. His actions were based on his surrounding environment.

Behavior should be blamed on the person when that person has grown up in an environment where there have been strict lines distinguishing between right and wrong. On the other hand, behavior should be blamed on environment when children are deprived of time with their parents and no one has told them the difference between what is socially acceptable and what isn't. Their behavior comes from only seeing and doing what they are told because they are naive and ignorant of how their actions effect others because no one has told them differently.

::This is Natalie's Literary Blog::

Hi,

my name is Natalie.

How are you doing??

Welcome to my literary blog!! Whoo. :]]]

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Well, my blog is set up and ready to go.

Peace.