In david guterson’s novel, snow falling on cedars, the trial of kabuo miyamoto functions in multiple ways. it is both the narrative frame of the novel and its governing metaphor, compelling both the characters and readers to ask larger questions about the nature of truth, guilt, and responsibility. as the trial unfolds, we see how different characters represent different aspects of the justice system, whether we mean justice in a legal, personal, moral, or other way.

what is at stake for the accused (kabuo and his family)? for the victims (the heines)? for the investigators (including the police, the coroner, the reporter)? for the legal framework (judge and jury)? to say they are all after the same thing would not correct. for your essay, discuss, analyze, and evaluate how various factions operate as they pursue truth, establish guilt or innocence, and reach toward justice. the center of your discussion should be guterson’s novel, and you should supplement your discussion with at least one other reading from our semester. for example, in “the hossack murder” and “trifles,” we see overlapping categories of those pursing justice: victims (who need others to speak for them), accused, witnesses, reporters, sheriffs, coroners, attorneys, judges, and juries. in one, the trial is central; in the other, the pursuit of truth is not sought in a legal manner. in “the lynching of jube benson” we see how the absence of a trial results in a misrepresentation of justice. here too, views of truth vary among the reporter, the doctor, and the mob that pursues the wrong culprit. in all three works, prejudices must be examined and each character holds and is influenced by these biases. you may see connections among other readings, too. gather evidence from the works that allows you to demonstrate a central point.