Snow Falling on Cedars: Chapter 12 Summary & Analysis

Guterson uses snow to symbolize fate, or things that are beyond humankind’s ability to control; thus, the presence of snow evokes Kabuo’s meditations (in Chapter 11) that his trial is fate’s way of punishing him for his warrior ancestry and wartime atrocities. The trial also pushes Ishmael Chambers into his own thoughts of the past.

Until this point, Guterson has only hinted at Hatsue and Ishmael’s relationship. Through a sequence of Ishmael’s memories, the reader now learns more about the growth (and eventual decay) of their teenage love affair. Again, Guterson emphasizes the central role the cedar plays in their intimacy: nature, untouched by social norms and prejudices, is the only place the interracial couple can be together. Ishmael dreams of a future with Hatsue, even though such dreams are overly hopeful and unrealistic. Ishmael isn’t obligated to honor his family in the way that Hatsue is, so he is able to “[give] his whole soul to love” in a way she is not. 

Hatsue’s “cold and silent” demeanor hurts Ishmael because he does not understand it. Ishmael isn’t being outwardly prejudiced towards Hatsue’s style of emotional expression, but his misunderstanding does parallel the skepticism with which many white islanders’ regard Kabuo’s unreadable coldness in trial. Hatsue’s unreadable demeanor comes from her childhood lessons with Mrs. Shigemura: “She had been carefully trained […] to avoid effusive displays of feeling.” In this way, Hatsue’s silence is linked to a learned obligation to honor Japanese social norms.

Hatsue’s cultural upbringing impacts her composure and values. Her “religious side” instills within her a belief in the impermanence of life, and a heightened awareness of “consequences for the soul’s future.” Hatsue’s religious upbringing, thus, prevents her from giving herself over to love in the way Ishmael is able to do. The separateness and seclusion of the cedar tree allows Hatsue to forget about her hesitations somewhat; however, when she is in the world—around her family, for example—her cultural obligations are more difficult to ignore, and this (along with the prejudices of other islanders) prevents the couple from letting others know about their relationship. 

On San Piedro, The Strawberry Princess serves as a symbolic peace offering between the white islanders and the Japanese islanders: the princess bridges the gap between these two groups of people and their conflicting worldviews. When Hatsue is crowned Strawberry Princess, it is symbolic of her anguish at being torn between the American way (Ishmael) and the Japanese way (her family).

Hatsue speaks more about the forces that prevent her from feeling completely absorbed and confident in the relationship. She feels pressure from her family and from Mrs. Shigemura to marry a Japanese boy, and considers it “evil” to act against her parents’ wishes. Ishmael, who doesn’t share Hatsue’s religious and cultural obligations, struggles to understand how what feels right can be so wrong. He believes they can simply choose not to think about their conflicting cultures. Ishmael’s privilege as a white man allows him to ignore obligations and act on his heart’s impulses in a way Hatsue cannot.

The cedar tree “shields” Ishmael and Hatsue from the prejudices and obligations of the outside world, but as wartime tensions continue to grow, the couple—even Ishmael, the hopeless romantic—starts to see that they cannot remain in their escapist paradise forever.