Final Post

This story really made me think and ponder about what really goes on in people's hearts and heads. It was a emotion filled story that had love, envy, hatred, prejudice, sorrow and many other emotions. It was like a drama because of the lost love between Ishmael and Hatsue and Kabuo and Hatsue. I liked the story but I wished it had turned out differently with Ishmael and Hatsue. I think they were good together because they grew up and had a good amount of time together when they were young.



I was apalled at the amount of racism that occurred in this time period. I wonder if my viewpoints about prejudice would have been different if racism was still as strong today as it was then. I might have been one of those fisherman's wives who agreed with their racist husband that "Japs" were bad and different. Or, I might have been like Ishmael who, even though Hatsue was Japanese, still liked her. I don't know how I would have acted but for my sake, hopefully I would've been unracist.

The mood's in this story were very unsubtle. I found that when I was reading I felt some of the characters emotions and could feel the mood. When Horace was performing the autopsy I felt as though I was in the room with him, standing by his side, my stomach churning. I could feel Susan Marie's pain when she heard of her husbands death and acknowledge the awkwardness Art Moran had when he told her. When Carl's mother gave Kabuo mean glares I understood his discomfort.

This story was full of drama, mystery and forbidden love. I thought it was very well written and in the future when I go to the library I will definetaly see if there is any other books by this author. David Guterson made this story believable and realistic. My favorite part of this story is when Ishmael told the jury of the evidence to prove Kabuo was innocent. I think that gave an excellent example of heroicness.