How does David Guterson convey the fragility of the community of San Piedro in his opening chapters?

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How does David Guterson convey the fragility of the community of San Piedro in his opening chapters?

Tom Platts

The concept of a lone island called San Piedro, deeply secreted by the harsh weather of a ‘wind driven snowfall’ provides an image of solitude.

The island, with a town called Amity Harbor, distant from all outside communication, coveys a secluded, close-knit relationship within the community. They can’t be touched. Any strangers are seen as suspicious and they feel somewhat invaded by outsiders because they are not used to them and their individual ways. The following shows three instances which demonstrate this:

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Firstly, ‘At school they were strangers…because she was Japanese and he wasn’t’ proves their racial separation from one another in their community. Secondly, Ishmael, a news reporter who left San Piedro because he was unhappy, returned and was socially rejected by Hatsue, wife of Kabuo after their short-lived romance many years ago, and thirdly later found himself turning away from the ‘fraternity of fishermen’ as he knew he couldn’t fit in. The problem was that ‘he wanted to like everyone. He just couldn’t find a way to do it.’ This can show his social inexperience and inability to be ...

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