In the novel Snow Falling On Cedars by David Guterson, a man named Ishmael Chambers goes through many important events in his life, and has to make big decisions about what is right and what is wrong. Ishmael lived on the island of San Piedro. His childhood was always filled with adventure and excitement, and a very special friend. Her name was Hatsue Imada, and she would often go with Ishmael to the beach, to dig up clams or go swimming. As early as the age of ten Ishmael knew that he had feelings for Hatsue, very strong feelings of love, and one day he kissed her on the beach, her first kiss that she would always remember, and so would he. His goal from that point on was to be with Hatsue forever.
For years Ishmael had these feelings for Hatsue, and didn't know how to tell her. When they were fourteen he felt it even more, and decided it was time, and he knew that "it was not only that her beauty moved him but that they already had a history together that included this beach, these waters, the very stones, and the forest at their backs, too"(Pg. 99). After finally telling her, they kissed, then suddenly she ran off, but Ishmael knew he had done the right thing. He knew in his heart that "it had started on the day they"d clung to his glass box and kissed in the sea, and now it must go on forever"(Pg. 100). .
After a while, they started meeting inside a hollow cedar tree, and continued to do this for 4 more years. When they became high school seniors, Hatsue told Ishmael about how she had been told to "marry a boy of her own kind, a Japanese boy from a good family"(Pg. 175) when she was only thirteen years of age. She felt that by being with Ishmael she was deceiving the world, but Ishmael still believed they were meant to be together, and he never stopped believing in this. With the war going on during this time, Ishmael knew he would be drafted soon, but never let it affect his relationship with Hatsue.
