The Poisons of Racism

A bottle is held out. A picture of a skull and crossbones is pasted to it. The bottle appears to be as old as prehistoric man and smells just as bad. Who in their right mind would drink it? No one. But not all poisons are as obvious: they don't come with warning labels. That is just the case with racism. Snow Falling on Cedars, a novel written by Davis Guterson, discusses the racial prejudices and poisons on San Piedro Island during the 1950s. The major conflict of race in the novel Snow Falling on Cedars can be seen through other conflicts among the characters. Racial prejudice can be seen through Kabuo's trail, in the relationship between Hatsue and Ishmael, and through the land tensions between the Miyamoto and the Heine family.

Kabuo Miyamoto's trail from start...