Essay

     At some point in their life, people have read a book where the death of a person, or anything else, expresses the main point of the whole book or suggests what the main point is about. Such as in the book Snow Falling on Cedars. The death of Carl Heine is what the whole book is based on, what every significant action revolves around. His death really shows the racism that is portrayed in the story.

        In Snow Falling on Cedars, the death of Carl Heine symbolizes the racism that is happening on this island of San Piedro. Carl Heine was a caucasian male who was a respected war veteran, and he was murdered by a Japanese-American fisherman, in which racism had to do a major part in it. Throughout the story, all the things that happen seem to be because of the murder of Carl Heine, the reasoning for it all.

      The significance of the title, Snow Falling on Cedars, basically just defines the meaning of the season and the setting around the time of the trial of Carl Heine's killer, Kabuo Miyamoto. It mentions the heavy snowfall surrounding and impeding, which obviously shows what season it probably is. As far as the cedar trees, that is where many secrecies are held, due to the fact that one of the was big and hollow.

      While you continue to read the book, you will find out how much the death had to do with the whole plot of the book and you will realize the powerful meaning behind it. When David Guterson was writing this, I think he wanted to prove a point, it's just one of those things though where you have to read to find out. Racism is strong in many countries and as shown in the book, it's not always a good thing, but sometimes there are things in life that we just don't understand....and sometimes never will.