English Literature

Race, Regionalism, and Rights: in Snow Falling on Cedars

Literature is an art form, which can convey love, hate, beauty, and ugliness. Literature, in the form of novels, has the capacity to challenge and reflect upon cultural and societal dilemmas. The David Guterson novel, Snow Falling on Cedars, and the 1999 film adaptation, illuminate the issues that a young Japanese-American man faces when he is accused of the murder of a white fisherman in the state of Washington. On the surface, the story is a mystery, which focuses on whether or not the young man is guilty, but on a deeper level, the novel is a narrative that contrasts the stark ugliness of racial intolerance compared to the beauty of the Washington island. Taking place upon the fictional San Piedro Island, part of the Puget Sound area of Washington, racial tensions ran extremely high between the members of...
[ View Full Essay]