Journal #2 - Pain and Conflict

          This week my lit circle group was able to have a good discussion on the book "Snow Falling On Cedars." However it has been difficult to create lengthy, in-depth discussions about the book, as it has started off fairly slow. We have not yet come across much activity in the book as the author has taken his time describing the different characters and their pasts. Luckily though, our lit circle group was able to discuss a few questions regarding pain and conflict. A question that we discussed was "what are different ways of experiencing conflict?" The story so far is about a fisherman that has died. There is a trial occurring to try and figure out if Kabuo Miyamoto was responsible for the fishermans death. This mystery as well as the setting represents a lot of conflict. The setting in the beginning is a courtroom, which represents conflict as many perspectives of different situations are assessed by a judge and jury. This causes conflict because both the defendant and prosecutor "battle" one another to try and win the trial. Our group discussed this as well as minor conflicts between characters. For example, a character by the name of Ishmael confronts Kabuo's wife, Hatsue. It is shown that there have been past conflicts between the two as she is not excited to see him. " 'Go away,' repeated Hatsue Miyamoto. Then she'd turned her eyes, once again, from [Ishmael]." (pg 8) It is shown later on in the book that in their younger years, Hatsue and Ishmael had relations between one another. However, now that Hatsue is married to Kabuo there is conflict between Ishmael and Hatsue. Our group connected this with another question about pain: "What are different ways of experiencing pain." In this case, Ishmael is experiencing emotional pain as it clear that he still has feelings towards Hatsue. When she ignored him like she did during the trial, it hurt Ishmael emotionally. "He remained uncertain afterward what her eyes had meant - punishment, sorrow, pain."

          Overall, this week our group had a decent discussion. All members of the group were active, sharing thoughts and ideas. A group goal that we all have in common is to try and find deeper meanings towards the text and have lengthier discussions. I'm confident that as we dive further into the book, we will be able to achieve this goal. From my personal assessment this week, I was involved with the group discussions by asking and answering questions, relating peer comments to my own thoughts, and adding points of my own. However, a future goal for me would be to contribute deeper opinions and insight to the book.

          More recently, as we have dived further into the book our group has been able to have richer discussions. In the past week, we have discussed conflict in the book. It is revealed that in their teen years, Ishmael and Hatsue had a "secret" relationship. Their feelings for one another were very strong, however they could not express their feelings in public due to issues within society at that time. It was during World War II, when the Japanese had recently bombed Pearl Harbor. This caused conflict throughout the whole world, especially on San Piedro Island where Ishmael and Hatsue lived. Many Japanese immigrants lived here, and due to the surprise attack, the locals had issues with the Japanese. They were seen as traitors to some, as they could have easily been spies for the Japanese army. This is another example of conflict in the book because now the Japanese were treated differently. For example, Mrs. Heine did not want to sell any of her property to the Miyamoto family, strictly because they were Japanese. " 'They're Japs,' answered Etta. 'We're in a war with them. We can't have spies around.' " (p. 126)

         This issue also caused conflict with Ishmael and Hatsue's relationship. Since Ishmael was white, and Hatsue was Japanese, it was wrong for them to be seen together in public. Society deemed it wrong due to prejudice and the actions at Pearl Harbor. They could not hang out together at school, after school, or anywhere in public. They had to go their secret place in order for them to talk to each other. This is one of the main examples of conflict that my group discussed. Their parents would punish them severely if they found out of their relationship, and they both knew that there would be consequences if they were caught. However their love for each other was so strong that the consequences would not matter to them. At the same time, Hatsue is experiencing conflict within herself, as she is questioning her Japanese heritage. She wonders whether her relationship with Ishmael could ever be real, and if she should be with a Japanese boy instead like her parents want her to. This causes Hatsue to have doubts about who she really is. " 'No,' she said. 'No, Ishamel. No, Ishmael. Never.' " (p. 214) Ishmael tries to kiss Hatsue before she leaves, but her conscience tells her this whole relationship is wrong. The conflict between Ishmael and Hatsue can be connected with couples all over the world. Society might not see it fit that these two people are together, however their love for each other is so strong that this doesn't matter to them. Unfortunately, society's views could have a negative impact on these relationships, just like it has in Ishmael and Hatsue's case.

          In conclusion, our group has been able to pull together richer and deeper discussions about our book this past week. This includes discussions about pain and conflict, as well as destruction. The book is starting to get more interesting for me, and my understanding is becoming more clear. The first week was indeed challenging for me, however now it is becoming easier to interpret the layers within our book. A goal I feel I have accomplished is a deeper discussion with my group members as well as a lengthier one. Overall I have been contributing well to my groups discussion, and listening well to my group member's ideas and thoughts. A goal for the future can be to try and build further on my member's thoughts.



          * To make my journal better, I have included a few more points about conflict that my group members and I have discussed. I included quotes and examples for support and evidence, and I have explained my points. Another thing I have done is that I have included a connection and explained my connection. Also I have added an appropriate title to my journal.*