Introduction Snow Falling on Cedars is the movie illustrates about the murder trial of Kabuo Miyamoto, an American of Japanese descent charged with murdering Carl Heine, a fellow salmon fisherman. The trial really provides a framework for an analysis of the effect that the internment of Japanese-Americans during World War II had on the people of San Piedro Island, a small island in the Pacific Northwest. This analysis will focus about family processes, values, socialization of child rearing, healthcare belief and practice, adaptation and family level of development/functional competency related to characters of the movie.
Description of Movie Family The story unfolds as a series of flashbacks from the 1950 murder trial of Kazuo Miyamoto, a young Japanese-American accused of killing a fisherman on his boat off the coast of the fictitious San Piedro Island. Most of the events are seen through the eyes of Ishmael Chambers, a morose young reporter covering the trial for the local newspaper. Many years earlier Ishmael and the defendant's wife, Hatsue, were teenage lovers who met secretly in the hollow trunk of a cedar tree deep in the rain forest. The affair ends when it is discovered by Hatsue's mother, who is vehemently opposed to interracial relationships. These issues are raised in personal relationships, international relationships, the notion of war, and the court of law. Even though the trial is over and Ishmael has done the honorable thing but questions still remain at the end of the movie.
Assessment of Culture and Ethnic Traits The socioculture of the movie is the most obvious dualism between Japanese and American populations. One of the primary differences in the two culture's outlook on life stems from their religions. The Americans on the island are Christian, while the Japanese are Buddhists. These religions are very different in their approach to living, but neither side makes any attempt to understand the other's religion. The environmental of the movie is mainly in San Piedro Island that is divided into two worlds: the earth and the sea. On the sea, the fishermen look for their livelihood at night, and they share a strong, honest fraternity. At the same time, the sea is lonely work; each person works as an individual. The earth, in contrast, is characterized by the strawberry fields, governed by the seasons and a colorful harvest, though a livelihood from the earth involves its own risks. The communication of the movie is focus to both Japanese and American. Japanese ideally is maintaining composure and stillness. While the face remains still, the inner life may still be chaotic and in turmoil. Westerners tend to assume, on the other hand, that one often can read a person's thoughts and emotions on the face. This cultural difference presents a point of misunderstanding between Japanese-Americans and the white American community. Additionally, the foreignness of the Japanese face deepens the negative prejudice that culminates in the mass relocation of all residents of Japanese ancestry during the war. In Snow Falling on Cedars, men often leave women behind — although not necessarily by choice. Women in both cultures have very little say in the decisions their spouses make concerning their families. Gender roles are clearly defined for the characters in Snow Falling on Cedars. Men are the caretakers and providers, but women are responsible for maintaining the familial and social structure. Gender roles in the story are often most clearly defined by the relationships that the characters have with their parents and spouses. The family values demonstrate for each character is the extent to which the qualities expressed by one's parents and family histories will play a role in one's own life. Furthermore that is shown as partly a product of their families and their past experiences. At