David Guterson And His Use Of The Theme Of Nature

David Guterson and His Use of the Theme of Nature

David Guterson, a young American author, has written two major works regarding aspects of human nature and human emotions. His first publication, a collection of short stories, entitled The Country Ahead of Us, The Country

Behind addresses some of the moral dilemmas that humans face throughout their lives. His first novel, Snow Falling on Cedars, narrates the trial of a

Japanese man accused of murdering a white man in the post World War II era.

Throughout his literary works, Guterson uses elements of nature: land, trees, water and especially snow, as literal and metaphorical tools to develop and resolve conflicts.

David Guterson uses the same aspects and characteristics of nature in two different ways. First he describes in visual detail the literal or actual effects that elements of nature have on the characters in the story. But more importantly Guterson uses nature to convey substantial and symbolic meaning in the lives of the characters in his stories.

One of the elements of nature that Guterson uses as a tool to develop the conflicts in Snow Falling on Cedars are the strawberry fields on the island.

These fields represent an important source of income for the community.

Traditionally the Japanese laborers worked the fields and the white Americans owned the fields. The question of the ownership of seven acres of strawberry fields serves as the apparent motive for the murder of Carl Heine. To a local

Japanese fisherman, Kabuo (accused of murdering Carl Heine), the ownership of this land promises a secure future and ultimately independence. “...she knew that Kabuo wanted a strawberry field.. nothing more than that” (Snow Falling 89).

“His dream...was close to him now, his strawberry land, his happiness” (Snow

Falling 456). The strawberry fields connected Kabuo to his past and symbolized a continuity of life. “My father planted the fathers of these (strawberry) plants” (Snow Falling 362).

Guterson also uses snow metaphorically to make the ownership of the strawberry fields disappear and seem unimportant in life (Snow covering the fields permitted the reader to veiw the ownership of the fields as a very materialistic and selfish thing). After the snow has fallen it acts as a purifier to a...

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...nd. The snow changes in these scenes in the story as Guterson tells...................................................................... Snow is also one of the elements that can also be traced through

Guterson's earlier works. In “Angels in the Snow” Guterson uses snow in the very same way that he uses snow as a metaphor in his novel. “Angels in the Snow” is a short story about the struggle for a man to maintain a truthful marriage with his wife. In this story the snow that falls on Christmas eve symbolizes the falling apart of his marriage due to unsurpassable problems. “Outside the window a light snow blew down... in the yard the grass looked sprinkled with powder”(Angels 3). Guterson weaves a tale about moralistic troubles that began in a young man's fragile past. “Outside, the snow covered the last of the lawn.

The world looked hushed, delicate and beautiful.” ( Angels 7) This passage describes the delicate remembrances of the protagonist's youthful days. And then, “outside the falling snowflakes looked larger...a low drift was forming...”

( Angels 12). This statement is offered as Guterson's main character begins to confront his past conflicts.