Often, the action that a character takes defines who they are. This statement is also fitting in Ishmael Chamber's case. Ishmael kissed Hatsue at fourteen and discussed the controversy of their kiss could cause among the community inside a hollow tree. At this point in time Ishmael feels their relationship will work, but the arrival of war changed everything. After receiving a devastating letter from Hatsue and losing his arm in battle, Ishmael could not control his rage and puts the blame on Hatsue and all Japanese. He found himself saying the words, "that fucking goddamn Jap bitch"(251) after the surgical removal of his left arm. Since his rejection by Hatsue, Ishmael fails to resume his normal mental state. He has reacted to Hatsue's rejection with pettiness. He continues to attempt to bring Hatsue back to his arms. During their meeting at the beach, Ishmael tells Hatsue that he " is a dying person"(334), and wants to hold Hatsue. Hatsue, now married, turns him down. Not only does his failed attempts to retrieve Hatsue disabled him to sustain a loving relationship with another woman, his hate for Hatsue and all Japanese has cultivated a crippling cynicism. It was not until the revealing of the lighthouse report where Ishmael finally redeems himself. When Ishmael first finds the lighthouse notes, his temptation to seek revenge on Hatsue's husband and his accumulated anger forces him to keep the notes to himself. Yet, by revealing the lighthouse report, Ishmael knows that he prevents a serious miscarriage of justice, fueled by the same prejudice which has been the focus over the decades against Japanese in San Piedro. In addition to his realization, Ishmael finds the words in Hatsue's letter that will convince him to reveal the notes. In the letter Hatsue writes, "Your heart is large and you are gentle and kind, and I know you will do great things in this world."(442) By revealing the notes, Ishmael lives up to Hatsue's estimation of his character, and redeems himself, as well as the entire community.
