In Snow Falling on Cedars, the people of San Piedro—veterans and non-veterans alike—are haunted by memories of World War II. Two of the main characters, Ishmael and Kabuo, fought in the war and have been irrevocably changed by the experience. In addition to exposing Ishmael to unspeakable horrors, the war caused his breakup with Hatsue, which has been huge in preventing him from moving on with his life. Kabuo, for his part, feels like there's a part of himself that's always kind of separate and backward-looking after his participation in the war. Even though it's been a decade since the war ended, it's still very much a presence for this novel's characters.
Questions About Warfare
- If Hatsue had just broken up with Ishmael without the war intervening, would he be just as messed up as he is now? Put differently, how much of his problem is the war, and how much is the fact that the war caused him to break up with his high school sweetheart?
- Why does the novel set up comparisons between the traumas of wartime and relationship heartbreak? Do you find the analogy interesting or convincing? Why or why not?
- Do characters like Kabuo have any hope of emerging from the isolation and despair that their war memories have caused them to suffer? Is there any reason to believe they will be able to move on?
Chew on This
The novel leaves little room for hope that characters will be able to recover from the impact of the war on their lives; its traumas are portrayed as so massive as to be insurmountable—bummer.
Although the novel's characters are plagued (and sometimes paralyzed) by bad memories, Ishmael's ability to let go of the past and help Kabuo out of prison brings the novel to a close on a hopeful note. It appears that maybe moving on is possible, if you can just get your heart to learn how to act right. Right?