Respect for the Stoic

For my first blog post, I would like to discuss my favorite character in David Guterson's Snow Falling on Cedars. While posting this from half way around the world, I have noted racism, from Whites, Blacks, and Coloureds in South Africa. The situation plays out very much the same in Gunderson's novel; with the White community of San Piedro discriminating against their former Japanese enemies, and the Japanese viewing their White neighbors as barbaric and below their Japanese cultures and customs. Guterson's characters easily drive the novel; they serve as the main focus, the main form of conflict, and the best thing about Snow Falling on Cedars. Many interseting characters come into light in the novel; from the accused man, Kabuo Miyamoto, the painfully racist Etta Heine, the devoted coroner Horace Whaley, and the accepting and diverse Carl Heine Sr.. However, a single character shine in my eyes more than all of the mentioned previously, Nels Gundmundsson. Nels plays himself as an experienced, "deliberate" attorney, he slowly brings about his point, but somehow does not ask irrelevent or unneccisary questions (20). This direct characterization of Nels juxtaposes himself with the prosecutor, Alvin Hooks, who Guterson indirectly characterizes as insignificant and quickly moving by not even mentioning his name during his first round of questioning, impliying that Hooks moves so fast that he becomes an irrelevent afterthought in the eyes of both the town and courtroom. Gundmundsson did not always operate himself as a stoic and maticulous leader though, quite the contrary, his wise and elderly nature bothers him "because as a young man he had been...an athelete" (27). The word "athelete" carries an active connotation, indicrectly characterizing the young Gundmondsson as aggressive, impulsive, and energetic, juxtaposing with his elderly self who acts stoic, slow, and meticulous. He still reveals sides of his athleticism, though; when he plays chess with Kabuo he reveals that he "never castled" revealing that he still desires to act as he lived before, and he couldn't stand his slow pace outside of his profession, the only place where it suits him (158). The overall complexity of Nels Gundmundsson intrigues me, making him my favorite character. His slow and precise nature makes himself seem almost super-human when working with the witnesses for Kabuo's trial, and his aggressive, high risk and reward, style of chess playing juxtaposed helps create a man who, not only knows what he needs to do, but also has the courage to do them. This type of uncompromising, yet intellectual leadership that Gundmundsson displays easily makes him my favorite character.