Snow Falling on Cedars Theme of Memory and the Past

Ahem—excuse us as we clear our throat to sing our favorite song from Cats. Okay, back to business. You may have noticed that characters in this novel spend more time in the past than in the present day, and stuff that happened 10 years ago has a huge impact on the characters' motivations in the present.

This tendency to let the past dictate the present, and future, isn't exactly portrayed positively in Snow Falling on Cedars. In the case of the Miyamoto trial, jury members find themselves unable to leave their memories of World War II (and the anti-Japanese prejudices they developed as a result) behind in evaluating evidence. As a result, they are inclined to convict an innocent man. So yeah, memory, you're not being helpful here.

Somewhat similarly, the protagonist, Ishmael, can't move on with his life because he's stuck in the past, thinking about his ex-girlfriend, Hatsue. Ishmael's repeated trips down memory lane are potentially as dangerous as the jury's; in addition to their impact on him personally, they make him less inclined to bring evidence to light that would exonerate Kabuo. Luckily, Ishmael is ultimately able to do what the jury can't and move on.

1. Okay, so, if memory and being stuck in the past is such a bad thing in the novel's universe, do you find it interesting or ironic that the novel itself is 90 percent flashback, set in the past, and focused on historical events? Do you find these two things consistent or inconsistent? How and-or when is looking to the past useful?
2. In terms of the memories that are holding Ishmael back, how much do you think is about Hatsue? How much is about the war? Does the mix matter?
3. Do you think the novel presents memories and the trauma of war as equal to, or the same as, the trauma of a botched love affair? If so, what do you think of that choice?

The novel presents two very different ways of focusing on memory and the past. The first, which involves living in the past and refusing to see or accept changes in circumstances, is presented as harmful and even dangerous. The second entails learning from the past in order to make the present better. The latter is what the novel seems to be trying to do.

Relax, gang. Memory is only dangerous when it becomes nostalgia.