Guterson explores many victims in this novel. Describe at least two characters you feel are victims, and explain who/what victimizes them and whether or not these victims have control over their situation. Use supporting quotes/details to support your answer.
Write a minimum of 2 paragraphs, one paragraph per victim. Due: Monday, February 7.
Worth: 5 points
Guterson victimizes many characters throughout the novel Snow Falling on Cedars. One victim, for example, is Kabuo Miyamoto. The main plot of the novel revolves around Kabuo's trial. He is considered a victim because most of the town assumes he is a murderer. They discriminate against the Japanese people on the town, calling them "Japs." Ishmael's mother agrees that "they arrested him because he's Japanese" (343). Kabuo doesn't really have control over this situation because he's unable to change the islander's views and opinions on Japanese people.
ReplyDeleteAnother victim in this novel is Ishmael Chambers. He is a victim of Hatsue, his first love. They grew up together, and soon their friendship turned into something more. After years of being together, Hatsue breaks his heart by saying in a letter, "I don't love you, Ishmael...I am not yours anymore" (353-354). I feel Ishmael doesn't have control over the situation because he can't change someone else's feelings. Although he loved her a lot, the only way they could get back together is by Hatsue deciding to come back to him.
There are many victims portrayed by Guterson in this novel. One of them is Kabuo Miyamoto. He is accused as the killer of Carl and is immediately the first one to be victimized. The main reason he is seen as the murderer is because of racism. He's Japanese and many people living there see the Japanese as a threat, or bad people. Just because he's Japanese people are going to think he did it and will not change their mind towards it.
ReplyDeleteAnother victim portrayed by Guterson is Ishmael. He was in love with Hatsue and they both knew it. When Hatsue was taken away with all the other Japanese, Ishmael was devastated. After a while Hatsue wrote him a letter explaining that she no longer loves him and he has to move on. Ishmael was put into a victim spot because he couldn't forget about Hatsue and he still loved her. Hatsue was forced to move on forget about the past while Ishmael couldn't let go of the past and he couldn't even change her mind.
There are many victims in this book. I think that one of the most prominent victims is Kabuo. I say this because he was accused of murder mainly because he was Japanese. He is also a victim because when he told his story in court, Alvin Hooks did not believe him. He even made it personal when he questioned whether Kabuo should be trusted or not, “You’re a hard man to trust, Mr. Miyamoto… “ (412).
ReplyDeleteAnother person I would consider a victim is Ishmael. This is because he was left by Hatsue. He never really did anything wrong yet she sent him a letter saying that it was over. This changed his life as well as his perspective of the Japanese. When giving Hatsue a ride home, he hints at her cruelty when he says, “You’re rightpeople don’t have to be unfair” (326).
Guterson explores many victims in "Snow Falling on Cedars." One victim is Kabuo Miyamoto. The novel is centered around his murder trial. Many of the townspeople believe that Kabuo is the victim because they are very discriminatory against the Japanese, saying he is a "Jap." They pay close attention to his actions and since he doesn't act like the normal person, they auto matically assume he was the murderer. "Some in the gallery would later say that his stillness suggested a disdain for the proceedings; others felt certain that it veiled a fear of the verdict that was to come" (3). As the trial continues, they are more and more prejudice against Kabuo, saying that whatever he claims is a lie. Kabuo can't do anything about this because no matter how hard he tries, he is still helpless against the town's views and opinions.
ReplyDeleteAnother victim in "Snow Falling on Cedars" is Ishmael Chambers. Ishmael was victimized by Hatsue, his first love. As they spend years together, Hatsue realizes that she no longer wants him, never really loving him, and breaks his heart in a letter, saying "I don't love you Ishmael...From the very beginnign when we were little children, it seemed to me something was wrong...I knew with certainty that everything was wrong...I am not yours anymore" (353-354). Ishmael doesn't have control over this because he can't change Hatsue's feelings. He tries to at least be friends with her again and forget about her but he just can't. He wants to let go of her, wanting one last hug but Hatsue refuses, not wanting anything to do with him anymore. The only thing that Ishmael can do is wait and hope that Hatsue changes her feelings.
Ishmael is a victim in many ways. Hatsue did not feel as much love for him as he did for her. So, she left him heartbroken. During the war, he lost his arm which often embarasses him and draws attention. The fact that he is a newspaper man on such a private island does not help, either. Not many people respect his career. They believe he is just butting in where he doesn't belong, and they do not think he is as good as his father. He suffers from all of these factors which are out of his control, leaving him angry and resentful, but he also refuses to try to find his own happiness without Hatsue.
ReplyDeleteKabuo is an obvious victim of racism. From being sent to the internment camps to being put on trial, his whole life has been affected by others' prejudice. Etta Heine practically stole his family's land and when something beneficial finally happens to him - in the form of getting his land back from Carl - he is accused of murder, and most of the town is against him because of his Japanese heritage. Since he cannot change how he looks, he has no control over these opinions, either.
Guterson explores many characters as victims throughout the novel. One character victimized is Carl Heine. He is suspected to be the victim of a murder case, and if not murdered one to have suffered a brutal death. Abel Martinson and Art Moran reminisce inspecting his dead body, “Sure enough, Carl Heine’s skull had been crushed just above his left ear. The bone had fractured and left a dent in his head” (19). Carl may or may not have had control over his situation, depending upon the truth to his death. If indeed he was murdered not much could have been done to prevent this. However, if it was a careless boating mistake, then yes, he could have taken precautions to prevent his death.
ReplyDeleteAnother character victimized throughout the novel is Kabuo Miyamoto. He is accused of being the murderer of Carl Heine. Even though Kabuo is sure he is not responsible for Carl’s death the evidence proves otherwise. He is a victim in the sense that the whole town is against him and the chances of him being found not guilty are very unlikely. I feel Kabuo does have control over his situation. Kabuo remembers back to the beginning of his trial when he was asked by Nels for his side of the story, “he’d stuck with the lie he’d told Sheriff Moran: he didn’t know anything about it, he’d insisted and this had deepened his problems” (388). If he hadn’t lied then he might have been taken seriously and found not guilty. Whereas now, he is changing his story which to the jury does not look good and could effect the outcome of his trial drastically.
There are many victims in this novel. Kabuo is the one of the main victims. He is a victim of prejudice and discrimination. During his trial he was often judged on the way he held himself, "Some in the gallery would later say that his stillness suggested a disdain for the proceedings; others felt certain it veiled a fear of the verdict that was to come"(1). Many believed Kabuo was a murderer because he was Japanese. After the bombing of Pearl Harbor, all Japanese were racially judged.
ReplyDeleteIshmael Chambers is also a victim in this novel. He is a victim of love. When you're in love you are blind to everything. Ishmael never saw what Hatsue saw, their racial differences which indicated that their love would never work and would end, "A white man and a Japanese-I don't care if it's Seattle-we couldn't just go walking down the street together. Not after Pearl Harbor"(207). Hatsue was taken away and left Ishmael cold with no love when she sent him a letter saying she didn't love him.
In Gutersons novel many characters are portrayed as victims.I believe the one most victimized is Ishmael Chambers. He was left broken hearted through a note by Hatsue, he had no control over the situation. Ishmael had wrote "I hate you, Hatsue, I hate you always" (237) yet Ishmael knew this was a lie. He had loved Hatsue and he always would. Also, Ishmael could be seen as a victim when he lost his arm in the war. There was no choice if he wanted to keep his arm it was an already made decision "Somebody saw him staring at it and gave an order, and the arem was scooped up inside a towel and dumped into a canvas bin" (251).
ReplyDeleteAnother victim portrayed in the novel is Hatsue. She was never able to live her own life, she hid in secrets from her family and friends " For four years now she had taken her "walks" and come home offering fuki tendrils, watercress, crawfish....- anything to conceal her purpose" (202) she knew what she was doing was wrong but she had never been able to love the man of her choice. Also, her husband is in trial and she must now raise her children alone. She also must live in the shame and shadow of her husband being a "murderer". Although she keeps herself very strong, "Hatsue settled into missing her husband and learned the art of waiting over an extended period of time.."(93). She would never be free.
Guterson has many victims in this novel and they are all victimized in many different ways. One of them is Kabuo Miyamoto, who is being accused of murder. He is a Japanese man and this nationality plays a big part throughout the novel. He is a victim of discrimination and prejudice. He, along with anyone else of Japanese descent, is called a ‘Jap’ and is characterized as a sneaky manipulative person who is capable of killing because of the previous war with Japan. Many people that are brought up as witnesses in the case, such as Etta Heine, are trying to find any reason for him to be considered guilty just because he is Japanese. He is a victim of preset decisions because of the way he looks.
ReplyDeleteAnother victim is Ishmael Chambers. He is a victim of his past love with Hatsue. He is still in love with her but it is a forbidden love because she is Japanese and he is German and because she is already married. Hatsue is no longer interested in him, even as friends, despite their closeness as children and teenagers. Ishmael tries to have some sort of connection with her but fails every time. She simply shuns his presence and acts as though they had no history together. He is heartbroken and depressed by this. He is not physically a victim of anything but mentally a victim of his love for her.
Guterson explores many victims in the novel. One character displayed as a victim is Ishmael Chambers. He is shown in this light because his unrequited love for Hatsue is so overwhelming that it results in endless hurt for himself. He could control this by getting over Hatsue, but appears to not want to. His mother even suggests that Ishamel get married, but he insists against it.
ReplyDeleteAnother victim shown is Hatsue. Her husband has been arrested for a murder he did not commit, and she must struggle to continue her life as normal afterwards. Ishmael sees her as a victim, noting how sad she looks in the courtroom. He asks if she is alright, but she only answers, "Go away" (5). She isn't in control of this sadness, no matter how hard she tries to cover it up.