Use of Symbolism in Nature in "Snow Falling on Cedars"

Symbolism is a technique used as a way of accentuating the readers to understand a story better. "Snow Falling on Cedars" narrates the trial process of a Japanese man who was a murder suspect. The story is set during the post-World War II era in a small American fishing community called San Piedro. As one reads "Snow Falling on Cedars," it becomes clear that Guterson did an excellent job in applying a wide range of symbols in that story. Nature has existed from the time when God created the earth. Hence, it is logical to state that nature has over time played a crucial role in shaping humankind in various aspects such as philosophies, societies, and cultures. Nature has a unique way of impacting humans' way of living in many angles. That is why, over the year, artists have used nature as a core element when designing their art. Guterson is an excellent example of an author who has used nature in shaping their work. With that in mind, Guterson uses various elements of nature, such as water, trees, land, and snow as symbolic tools that make the story under analysis interesting to the reader.

One of the core elements associated with nature that Guterson used to develop the source of conflict is land, especially the strawberry fields. San Paulo island was rich in strawberry fields which had caught the interest of many characters in the story under analysis. Those strawberry were a great source of income for many people in San Paulo, and that is why they held them dearly. In the past, the Japanese were laborers in those farms while the native American owned the land. With that in mind that why the dispute over a seven-acre parcel of made Kabuo a prime suspect in a murder case where one of the landowners who goes by the name Carl Heine was killed. The people of San Paulo found saw that there was enough motive for Kabuo to murder Carl Heine. Kabuo was a local fisherman, and he believed that owning land translated to ultimate independence and a secure future for him and his family. Kabuo had a deep desire to own that particular portion of property because his father had toiled all life on it. In line to that, he states that "My father planted the fathers of these (strawberry) plants" (Guterson 362). Therefore, he thought that owning that land would connect him to his past and give him a sense of life continuity.

Land and the pride attached to owning it serves as a symbol of belonging or being connected to a specific place. The Miyamoto family toils hard to purchase a piece of land that the government dictates it is illegal for them to own. The government dictates that it is illegal for foreigners to own property in San Piedro. The Miyamoto family was categorized as foreigners due to their Japanese origin. The government, therefore, requires the Miyamoto family to gain citizenship for them to own land. In any society, there are those people that love foreigners while others dislike them. In the case under analysis, Carl Heine Sr. is one of the natives that that love the foreigners because he goes out of his means to help the Miyamoto family to get land. On the other hand, Etta represents the group of natives that dislike foreigners because she deprives the Miyamoto's family their property. Government policies can play a crucial role in laying the foundation of law and order in a society. The land ownership law in the case under analysis is biased because it only favors the native at the expense of foreigners. A good example is in the scenario where Etta succeeds to deprive the Miyamoto's family a seven-acre piece of land just because she does not like them.

The principles of some characters in the "Snow Falling on Cedars" are defined by their association to the land. For example, firstly, Carl, and his father are hardworking individuals who find pleasure in taking care of their plants. Secondly, Kabuo displays his cunning character by using stolen strawberry plants to impress Hatsue. He lies to Hatsue that they were samples of what his father had planted. This is a clear indicator of the lengths that some individuals can go to impress others. Thirdly, Hatsue has a forgiving character but Kabuo. For example, Hatsue is trying to convince Kabuo to forget about the land he was deprived, but Kabuo refuses. To Kabuo, is more than a source of income for his family. That is because he visualizes the property is a symbol of what his kins worked for but deprived. Therefore, he keeps fighting to get back the land. On the other hand, the associate antagonistic and troubled characters in his story with loss of property. Those characters include Etta, Kabuo, and Ishmael.

Guterson uses the symbol of cedar three to demonstrate the gulf created by xenophobia in that society. San Piedro is a community which is dominated by cases of xenophobia because the native Americans subject the Japanese community to unfair land laws. It is under the cedar tree where the teenage relationship between an Ishmael, an American boy and Hatsu, a Japanese girl starts. As one proceeds with the story, it becomes clear that it is only under that cedar tree where Ishmael and Hatsu could meet because the society did not advocate the existence of such relationships. Therefore, the two had to come up with a strategic meeting point where they could not be seen. Cedar is one of the native trees which grow naturally in the Pacific Northwest. It is known for producing highly-valued fragrant wood. That cedar tree becomes a symbol of their youth because they found it when they were much younger. Hence, they made it their secret meeting point where they could meet and talk without fear of being seen. For Ishmael, the cedar tree offered them a place where they could shut out the world and only focus on the love they shared. With that in mind, Guterson uses the cider tree as a symbol to show the cultural divide in San Piedro. It is only in a natural setting that was offered by the cedar tree where a romantic relationship between an American and a Japanese could develop and thrive. Therefore, the author used the cedar tree as a meeting point for Ishmael and Hatsu was to showcase the uniqueness of that relationship because they had managed to conquer San Piedro's Xenophobia. Hence, giving their emotions a chance to thrive and be free from prejudice.

Throughout the text, the author is keen on giving the reader a picture of the snow falling on cedars while at the same time showing snow attacking the San Piedro Island. Hence, creating a situation where there is a storm in the hearts of people of San Piedro and physical wind which distract operations at Amity Harbour. The physical storm symbolizes the destruction that is taking place in the hearts of people of San Piedro. As the trial of Kabuo went on, the snowstorm turns more brutal, vicious, and violent to the extent of becoming an unbearable phenomenon that almost cripples all activities at the Amity Harbour. In a parallel event, the trial continues to develop an ethical turn of event. That is because the author showcases the development of unforgiving, ruthless, cruel, harsh, and prejudice manner adopted in the courtroom. This signals that the verdict might not be fair.

When the snow storm and trial reach their climax, Nel Gudmundsson in his closing argument gives an interesting statement. In what one can interpret as a sympathizing tone, Gudmundsson stated, ''I hope for warmth tonight, and for an end to this storm we are enduring" (Guterson 418). Nel Gudmundsson is the lawyer that is representing Kabuo in the murder trial. Given the situation at hand, the term storm in Gudmundsson's statement can be substituted with the term trial and still give out the same meaning. With that in mind, it is clear that the author used snowstorm to represent the recurring events of prejudice, which is rampant in San Piedro. The bitter tension in the form of the snowstorm was every day cornering Nel Gudmundsson and Kabuo Miyamoto to an extent where there seems slim chance to escape from tragedy and calamity. On the other hand, Ishmael and his girlfriend were in a similar predicament because they were deeply in love but were worried about failing to get approval from society. Hence, the probability of their relationship being ruined over time was evident, and enough reason to cause tension.

Conclusion

In conclusion, from the above explanation, it is clear that Guterson did an excellent job in using various elements of nature such as water, trees, land, and snow as symbolic tools that make the story under analysis interesting to the reader. Those elements influence the readers understanding of the novel significantly. The author used those elements of nature in character development, theme enhancement, and plot development. With that in mind, it is logical to state that Guterson understands the artistic advantages attached to the use of various elements of nature when authoring a story. His perfection in the use of elements of nature made the "Snow Falling on Cedars" to win the 1995 PEN/Faulkner Award, which is given to the best fiction authors annually. Also, in 1999, "Snow Falling on Cedars" was adapted into a movie that ended up being nominated for the Academy Award for Best Cinematography. This is enough evidence to classify "Snow Falling on Cedars" plot as one of the best and all this should be credited to its author's mastery to use of various elements of nature when coming up with the story. Over time, "Snow Falling on Cedars" has been getting adapted in various theatres plays. All this is a clear indicator that Guterson did an excellent job and set the bar high for other writers.

Work Cited

Guterson, David. Snow falling on cedars. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 1994.