The lyrical and evocative descriptions of San Piedro convey the nature of the members of the community. The island setting is divided into four divisions which is reflective of the subdivisions that exist within society. Amity Harbour provided a sanctuary for ‘five thousand damp souls’, providing a ‘deep moorage’ for a fleet of emotions. It is an ‘eccentric … sea village, down trodden and mildewed, the boards of its building bleached and weathered, their drainpipes rusted orange’. Battered and run down, the emotions of the community are heightened, thus conveying the raw anguished experienced by the characters: the true essence of humanity. The name, Amity Harbour is reflective of the intent of nature to harbour good willed citizens. This is bitterly contrasted with the reality of the social divide and contention between neighbours: hence, the fight between nature’s denunciation of the will of man to do harm. The “haphazard cedar fences lined the careless roads”, are suggestive of the boundaries and limitations constructed by man: boundaries that defy the intentions of nature.
The harshness of the setting and weather induces sympathy for the characters who are battered with all life has to offer. Guterson conveys how individuals have no control over the weather and the thoughts/emotions/actions of others. Through the experiences of the characters, he portrays how we can only maintain power over the thoughts and actions of ourselves: “Accident ruled every corner of the universe except the chambers of the human heart”. The harshness is also reflective of nature’s disapproval of human actions towards others, conveying the censure of the social divide established by human nature. In essence, humans are “more similar in their deepest places than they care to admit”. Snow is symbolic of this, as the covering of snow masks the differences between race and culture. Everything is perceived to be the same; everything is the same.
The changing weather in Snow Falling on Cedars reflects the undulating human emotions of the characters. Within the small community, it is evident that weather affects people – it is essentially a representation of place, of the community. The snow and rain exemplify the contention between nature and human kind, reflecting on the anguish borne by the community. Rain is described as “the spirit of the place … patiently beat down everything man made”. In this way, Guterson reflects on how nature dominates over man’s discretion. He describes the role of the weather in the disruption to the man-directed order of things: Kabuo’s trial, racial disparity and conflict which go against the laws of nature. The rain is also symbolic of the cleansing of souls that takes place throughout the journey of the novel. As the sins of the past are washed away, the harshness gives way to beautiful splendours: desolation is relinquished by hope.
The December trial and the falling winter snow is reflective of the ambiguity of the characters: of the uncertainty that plagues the lives of the characters. The snow is symbolic of purity and deception of the past and of true emotions. Ishmael wished for an ‘impossible winter purity’ that was ‘so rare and precious’, which is suggestive of his search for refuge in the uncertainty that snow brings. There is significance in the fact that the trial is set in the midst of a snowstorm. The storm represents the social upheaval and mirrors the turmoil and rage induced from the court case. The destruction caused by the storm is reflective of the desolation induced by racial hate. The snowstorm halts the procedure of the trial, portraying the impact of nature exerting its dominance and power as it attempts to manipulate the outcome of the trial - to right a moral and natural wrong that has been condemned by Mother Nature. Similar to the rain, as the snow and fog is lifted order is restored within the community, the truth is unveiled and everything seems to fall miraculously into place, bringing ‘an end to the storm they are enduring’.
The snow is of great beauty and great danger. At one stage, Ishmael hopes “it would snow recklessly and bring to the island the impossible winter purity, so rare and precious he remembered from his youth.” Yet snow causes a physical hindrance to transport and communication.
The snow is a backdrop to events on the island and offers continuous cleansing and renewal: “The wind and snow had scoured everything clean.” It is important that it is snowing during the trial and Ishmael’s reuniting with Hatsue. The snow symbolises the possibility for ablution that the trial could have on the community. It has the potential for them to see the racism that lies underneath the superficial harmony on the island. Guterson uses the purification of snow to mirror this.
In Snow Falling on Cedars, Guterson uses natural setting to convey his criticism of the nature of human kind. Through the use of lyrical descriptions, the symbolic representation of weather and effective imagery, Guterson establishes an evocative ambiance that is reflective of his perception of human kind.
