Snow Falling On Cedars And David Guterson Shire's Poem Home

Journeys are acts of travelling from one place to another, though inner journeys are journeys of the mind ultimately exploring the self and spirit with an objective of improving one’s self. Such journeys arise from the decisions an individual makes of the circumstances in which they are encountered with, it has the power to heal and strengthen the self with the knowledge attained within the duration of that journey. Through a variety of literary and poetic techniques, both David Guterson’s book ‘Snow Falling on Cedars’ and Warson Shire’s poem ‘Home’ clearly explores these ideas. These journeys are portrayed through several characters encountering new and baffling situations, and the overcoming of their dilemmas.
Determining whether the journey

transforms the individual for the better or worse depends on the decisions made while encountered with an unfamiliar situation. In ‘Snow Falling on Cedars’, the journey of their decision-making forces these characters to ponder about their morals and the severity of their actions.

While in a war zone Ishmael overcomes a conflicting decision of whether to save his own life or to help another soldier out, “He was not going to run down the beach again to drag a wounded man to safety… He could not even offer Eric Bledsoe a bandage, much less save his life.” The high modality in this scene reveals the decision he came to with difficulty and portrays his helplessness when talking about how little he could help the wounded man. Regardless of this morally wrong decision being made under immense pressure, it still shapes him to become stronger during his presence in the war. Additionally, Ishmael held a vital piece of evidence that would save Kabuo’s life and prove him innocent although that would mean his opportunity with Hatsue will vanish, it takes some self-convincing and deep thoughts for him to subsequently transfer this information, “He reached into his pocket and unfolded the notes Philip Milholland had written on September 16, and Ishamel explained what the shorthand meant and why he had come at ten-thirty in the night to speak to

her after all these years.” Similarly seen in Kabuo’s trial scenes, going through that process compelled Kabuo to assume his situation was brought on to him as a consequence of killing in the war. “The fear of death grew in him – in order to pay his debts to the dead he had left on the ground in Italy,” this internal dialogue exposes his inner conflict and battle within himself therefore accepting the consequences of his past actions, despite not having a choice in the contribution of a war. Indeed, that is the fundamental reasoning for him not defending himself during his trial, hence the determination of whether the journey was beneficial depends on the decisions because it teaches the weight of the choices made.
Occasionally choosing to let go of a significant aspect of an individual’s life for a greater provides an opportunity for the individual to strengthen and heal. The characters in ‘Snow Falling on Cedars’ are forced to discontinue a road in their life furthermore losing a part of themselves which requires psychological healing. Guterson portrays this through his character; Ishmael, as a result of the war, he lost his arm which is metaphorical for losing Hatsue as she was a compelling part of him and his life, “He only had one arm, the left arm being amputated…” this creates a sense of vivid imagery and forms a sense of understanding of the road being forced to take. Ishmael losing his arm opened another road for him to take, a life that wasn’t grounded by unrequited love and filled with many circumstances like building a family and leading a happy life. In order to create a new path for himself it was vital for him to lose that part of his life and himself. Hatsue was stuck between the decisions of staying faithful to her culture or staying with the man she loved, Ishmael. Prior to this decision she had a discussion with her mother about ‘identity’, she could not decide whether she comes from Japan or America, and which nationality is more prominent. Through the use of high modality, “I don’t want to be Japanese!” Hatsue’s tone emphasizes the conflicting identity that she is battling within herself. This immense conflict of decision-making led to her discontinuing her life with Ishmael and choosing to remain loyal to her culture. Therefore, it is seen that losing a meaningful part of yourself and life is essential to strengthen the mind and heal because it teaches the individual to cope with change.
Unwillingly partaking in a journey will only become what the individual makes of it, occasionally not being beneficial in any way but will support the transformation of the inner self.

Similarly to ‘Snow Falling on Cedars’, Warson Shire’s, ‘Home’ reveals the struggles of undergoing an inner journey. With the use of repetition in his poem, Shire is able to emphasize on what would be important to anyone and the value of it. “Home,” is being repeated to prompt the idea of what was lost to these refugees and the price they had to pay. The poem mentions, “Home is the mouth of a shark,” the personification of their home reveals the danger their own safe haven holds, vivid imagery in the poem assists to create an understanding of refugees being forced out of their own comfort. “No one skin would be tough enough…. I don’t know what I’ve become but I know that anywhere is safer than here.” With this line, Warson apprises the dilemmas refugees go through as a result of being forced out of their mundane and adequate life. Through the use of assonance in ‘no one skin would be tough enough’ the poet manages to intrigue the reader and remind them of the catastrophes that shape refugees forcefully. The poem describes the various obstacles refugees have to overcome to reach a point of somewhat comfort with their now destroyed lives, moreover this journey was not beneficial for their inner self but strengthened their inner self which help cope with the hardships thrown at them

unwillingly.
In conclusion, such inner journeys arise from the decisions an individual makes and has the power to determine whether it is beneficial for the self. It is evident through ‘Snow Falling on Cedars’ and ‘Home’ that the choices during the journey effects the outcome, such journeys can be beneficial through choosing to let go of a significant aspect of one’s life, making the best out of a situation one finds themselves in unwillingly and deciding to pick a better path for the result of that journey being beneficial.