Snow Falling on Cedars
Racism is the notion that one’s own ethnic stock is superior to that of someone else’s. Most all racism is as result of ignorance. Racism can range from a simple comment to make another human being feel inferior, to complex actions that make others feel unwelcome in society because of who they are. The theme of racism can be seen throughout literature. In the murder mystery novel, Snow Falling on Cedars, by David Guterson, many examples of wartime racism are evident.The novel is set on San Piedro Island off the coast of Washington in the year 1954. It is a place of “five thousand damp souls” (5). Kabuo Miyamoto, a member of the island's Japanese-American community, is on trial for the murder of Carl Heine, a fellow fisherman. Heine's boat was found drifting one morning, with his body entangled in a net. While the death initially appeared accidental, bits of circumstantial evidence that seemed to implicate Kabuo Miyamoto accumulated. Etta Heine, Carl’s mother, unjustly cheated Kabuo’s family out of some land during the war while the Miyamotos were incarcerated in a "relocation camp" in California. This provided motive for the apparent murder. Also, Carl’s traumatic head wound appeared suggestive of a Japanese kendo blow
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Some common words found in the essay are:
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Approximate Word count = 1297
Approximate Pages = 5 (250 words per page double spaced)
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