Snow Falling on Cedars and Miss Smilla’s Feeling for Snow Essay Example

storm and survived.

Hoeg commences his novel by providing intricate depictions of Smilla's environment. The words skillfully convey the interplay of sunlight on the snow, the crispness of the air, and the ironic presence of death during the funeral for a boy "who will never again feel the cold."1 Subsequently, this portrayal segues into Smilla's contemplation of Euclid's Elements, solidifying her connection to nature and presenting an image of her as a natural ice-queen amidst the chaotic pace of contemporary life.

This technique of contrasting elemental images is also employed effectively in the novel Snow Falling on Cedars to establish the setting of San Pietro. The significant focus on nature is evident in the chosen title, Snow Falling on Cedars, indicating that natural elements and events will play a crucial role in the narrative. The initial scenes particularly highlight nature's dominance, portrayed through the fog and the unexpected force of accidents.

The film begins by transitioning from a surreal green fog to a stunning snow storm above Cedar trees. This establishes the film's theme by demonstrating how the resilient Japanese community (and all of American society) is facing a dangerous threat from racial prejudice, which is a natural but disastrous phenomenon. Understanding these elements is crucial for both Smilla and the reader as they start to unravel the mystery. The true story unfolds when Smilla notices the snow on the rooftop and immediately senses that something unnatural is happening.

Smilla's journey towards the truth reveals the unpredictable and arbitrary nature of the world. Snow serves as Smilla's lens through which she comprehends her surroundings. It acts as both her mathematical formula and her spiritual guide. Within the snow, Smilla

uncovers a convergence of history and modernity, as well as a sense of direction. She employs snow as a tool to decipher individuals, locations, and happenings. Hoeg's writing skillfully contrasts Smilla's intuitive approach with the reliance on religion or ambitious drive seen in other characters.

Hoeg's novel contains references to religion and math, with Smilla frequently discussing "irrational number systems". These references depict a quest for truth in life, which extends beyond the search for Isaiah's killer and encompasses a broader philosophical exploration of the meaning of life. Similarly, Hicks's film portrays the apparent randomness of human existence, particularly through the wise defense lawyer Nels, who declares that "accident rules every corner of the universe, except, perhaps, the chambers of the human heart."

The text emphasizes the significance of events occurring at random, such as the passing freighter while Karl is climbing the mast, Ishmael stumbling upon important radio records, and the World War Two storm that dramatically transforms San Pietro. In Snow Falling on Cedars, memory plays a crucial role in shaping the present, as Ishmael's emotional logic takes precedence over chronological order. Hicks transitions between scenes with apparent randomness, using objects like a typewriter to trigger Ishmael's recollection of the war and his father's spectacles to remind him of the strawberry princess parade.

Hicks recreates human memory in the film by using spasmodic and quickly spliced images within flashbacks. These flashes include scenes of children, waves, dead fish, and a sensually bitten strawberry. This imagery powerfully suggests the loss of innocence in the relationship between Ishmael and Hatsue as it becomes sexual. The arbitrary nature of the cuts and the disconnected scenes they lead to and

from reflect the different pace of human memory compared to time. Unlike Hoeg's novel, the film is driven by feelings rather than facts. In contrast, ice and cold shape Smilla's world and the reader's view of her in Hoeg's novel.

The connection with snow shapes Smilla, giving her the qualities of being inhospitable, uninviting, enchanting, and unique. Hoeg portrays Smilla's voice as clinical, which is evident in her description of her father's life lacking emotional attachment. Smilla's assessment of her father's occupation is simple and precise: "He earned his money giving injections." This showcases Smilla's voice resembling that of a private investigator in an old noir film. Hoeg presents a multifaceted image of Smilla as an isolated and uninviting protagonist with a natural but unusual enchanting quality, much like snow.

Hicks employs cinematographic techniques to isolate Ishmael from society, often placing him behind the bars of the courthouse balcony during the trial. This framing signifies not only his seclusion but also his imprisonment in his past, reinforced by the frequent use of cuts that transition from flashbacks to this specific image. This method illustrates Ishmael's burden of his past and the constraints imposed on him by his interactions with others. The continuous references to his father and Nels' remark that he is "beginning to resemble your father" further accentuate Ishmael's oppression.

Following the liberation of Kazuku, it is revealed that Ishmael had been grappling with his father's relationship and feeling alienated in the present due to his uneasiness with his past. Similarly, the islanders' fixation on Pearl Harbour was impeding their progress as a community. Both the author and director employ memories of natural surroundings and personal encounters

with nature to elucidate their characters' isolation. In one scene, Ishmael stumbles upon a lifeless red-snapper on the shore, a symbolic representation of a prosperous and fortunate society in Japanese culture. This striking image ominously foreshadows the impending war scenes.

Furthermore, Hoeg effectively characterizes Smilla's past using a Greenlandic myth, highlighting her affinity with the elements and her knowledge of gender dynamics. This incorporation of myth contradicts Smilla's otherwise logical nature, emphasizing her connection to the past just like Ishmael. While Hoeg and Hicks differ in their use of snow imagery, they both employ fire and warmth to depict passion and destruction in their characters' environments.

Smilla is characterized by the qualities of snow, and her memories also link her mother to the snow and ice surrounding them. In contrast, her father is driven by an ambitious desire to overcome nature rather than live alongside it, as symbolized by his role as a doctor. The characters portrayed in Smilla's flashbacks are shown briefly and plainly, creating a sharp contrast with the intricately described settings and emotions. Hoeg's descriptions rarely use emotive language, opting instead for a clinical tone devoid of exaggeration or vivid imagery.

Ishmael's flashbacks in the film are characterized by the presence of human emotion and connection. The focus of most of the flashbacks revolves around the past relationship between Hatsue and Ishmael. Director Hicks employs techniques such as close-up shots of smiling faces, a fuzzy filter, and overlapping sound-bites to imbue these memories with warmth and a sense of connection to the present. Additionally, fire is a recurring image in the war scenes, symbolizing Ishmael's personal struggle and playing a significant role in conveying an

important aspect of the story.

Flashes of fire, bubbling water, noise, and flickering light are employed to illustrate war; however, the depictions we witness are not of excessive war machinery or blood, but rather images of Ishmael. This serves to emphasize Ishmael's individual struggle rather than a typical war scene. Both Ishmael and Smilla share the commonality of being isolated within their respective societies and detached from their audiences. Hoeg utilizes the filters of snow and rational science to process information, which are the same references Smilla employs to categorize all events in her own world.

Hicks creates empathy for Ishmael through the warmth of his memories while Smilla also experiences isolation in society but possesses an inner-peace that Ishmael lacks. Smilla's inability to connect with the world stems from her constant movement, whereas Ishmael remains trapped in his past circumstances. The central theme in both stories is the concept of truth, which not only involves solving the murder-mystery but also encompasses a deeper spiritual truth that both Ishmael and Smilla seek.

Hoeg uses the truth of others, religion, and science to ignite Smilla's journey. Smilla's attempts to explain the complexities of a snowflake using science and math ultimately prove unsuccessful; however, a clue to the puzzle is offered to the reader. In a witty response during a religious argument, Smilla describes snow as "a symbol of the light of truth. As in Revelations. 'His raiment was white as snow'"6. Hicks also employs this motif of the light of truth, first shown in the lighthouse scene where the light breaks through the darkness and reveals a literal truth to Ishmael.

The flickering lights in the courthouse scenes

represent the delicate state of "truth" within this hostile environment. This fragility is further emphasized by the cuts from the courthouse to the snow-covered cedars. Eventually, the lights are restored and justice is regained in the community. Similarly to Smilla, Ishmael holds onto the factual truth as much as possible. This is evident in his early confrontation with his mother, who criticizes him for believing that the facts indicate Kazuku's guilt: "'Besides you can't depend on facts, not by themselves."'

'What else is there? Emotions? Facts you can hold onto, emotions just disappear. '"7 This conversation reinforces the significance of emotional truth in Hicks's story, even though Ishmael denies it. Later in the film, Hatsue counters an attack from the prosecutor Hooks by stating that: "Trials aren't always about truth, Mr. Hooks. Even if they should be. "7 Hoeg and Hicks employ deeply ingrained motifs to develop the examination of truth, which is crucial in both narratives. The layered and growing importance of these motifs as the stories progress maintains the authenticity of the characters.

The delayed impact of these motifs is linked to the narrative, enhancing the author's and director's development of theme and its significance to the audience. By directly incorporating the imagery into the plot, Hoeg and Hicks subtly shape their readers'/viewers' perception of their natural yet human environments. In Smilla's biblical allusion, Ishmael's world is enveloped in snow as white as the truth, while Smilla herself is left alone in the pristine white snow. This marks a new beginning for her, bringing the realization that there is no singular truth and therefore no certainty in starting or ending.