David Guterson And His Use Of The Theme Of Nature

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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 ...

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gunnel. His head craked open
above the left ear and then he slid heavily beneath the waves”(Snow Falling
458). The tidal wave was the cause of Carl's death; the water, this
element of nature was truely responsible for the death of the fisherman.
In that sense Gutersonn uses water metaphorically to represent the circle
of life; the source of life, the maintenance of life, and the end of life.

Guterson uses trees as a metaphorical device to portray and predict
events in his literary works. He also uses them as literal tools to
develop his work, beautiful cedars and elms which are magnificent, full
trees with flowing branches that are visually pleasing and familiar to his
readers. In ...

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