David Guterson's 1994 novel, The Snow That Falls on the Cedars, spans three days and details the murder trial by Japanese-American fisherman and family man Kabuo Miyamoto, while moving in and out of real time to discuss the events that preceded it. Perhaps one of the most exceptional features of the novel is the very personal attention paid to each character; by recalling anecdotes from their past, Guterson offers implicit explanations for 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 particular attention, is Ishmael Chambers. The many facets of Ishmael's personality – including his profession as a journalist, his experience as a war veteran, and his teenage romance with the accused's wife – all contribute to great moral ambiguity. When ardent love and good ideals collide with malice and prejudice, Ishmael's judgment is tested, but his eventual character reveals an ultimate capacity for compassion - and, moreover, the importance of 'such compassion in a world of injustice. plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”?Get Original Essay The ambiguous nature of Ishmael's moral compass can first be seen in his childhood; although he is not a bad person, he is undoubtedly naive, energetic, and sentimental to excess. After developing feelings for Hatsue at the age of fourteen, he embarks on a borderline obsessive pursuit, determined to "love her forever... certain she [feels] the same way" (100), despite the fact that she runs away after their kiss. This fantasy speaks to the degree of naivety and self-interested unconsciousness that afflicts Ishmael's character, but Guterson explains shortly after that the fourteen-year-old feels "disturbed too...worried that the kiss is bad", thus establishing a more morally conscious side. in him. Over the next few years, as both characters come of age, Ishmael continues to whine after her in a way that readers might consider frightening; it is even noted that he could be “qualified as a voyeur” (104), which, of course, does little to contribute to the image of his moral compass. Even after Hatsue arrives, his advances are noticeably too forceful as he initiates both sex and a marriage proposal and essentially a huge catharsis of his obsession. And so, at the end of these teenage flashbacks, lovelorn Ishmael Chambers is left with an ambiguous reading. Some would say that the strength of his love is beyond his control, which makes his actions permissible, even admirable. Others, however, might argue that he is immoral - or pitiful, at best - for ceding his free will to unhealthy infatuation. Entering his life as a young adult after Hatsue's inevitable end to their adventure, a change occurs in Ishmael. Unlike his overly sentimental past, he becomes cold and seemingly heartless, partly because of the war and partly because of the breakup. Despite his transformation, however, his moral sense is really not enhanced at all. He simply exchanges his previous character flaws for new ones, exposing himself as a vindictive person prone to extremes and easily swayed by toil. This version of Ishmael becomes perhaps the most unsympathetic when, in seeking justification for hating Hatsue, he turns to prejudice. Immediately after his injury in the war, he remarks "'this damn..