The Morally Ambiguous Ishmael Chambers Anonymous 12th Grade

David Guterson’s 1994 novel Snow Falling on Cedars spans three days detailing the murder trial of Japanese-American fisherman and family man Kabuo Miyamoto, all the while shifting in and out of real time to discuss the events leading up to it. Perhaps one of the novel’s most exceptional features is its very personal attention to each and every character; in reminiscing on anecdotes from their pasts, Guterson offers implicit explanations as to why these characters are the way they are and how they came to play their respective roles in the trial. One such character, to whom Guterson pays especially close attention, is Ishmael Chambers. The many facets of Ishmael’s persona--including his occupation as a journalist, his veteranship, and his teenage romance with the defendant's wife--all contribute to a great deal of moral ambiguity. When ardent love and good ideals clash with spite and prejudice, Ishmael’s judgment is put to the test, but his eventual character arch elucidates an ultimate capacity for compassion--and furthermore, the importance of such compassion in a world of injustice.

The ambiguous nature of Ishmael’s moral compass can first be seen in his childhood; while he is not an outright bad person, he is without a doubt...