In David Guterson’s Snow Falling on Cedars, Ishmael, the Japanese women, and Kabuo experience situations that causes them to depersonalize themselves. Ishmael experiences his father’s shadow lurking around him because of the constant comparisons with his father and him. Society ignores his personally and detach him from his identity leaving him to just be “‘... your father son”’ (36). The Japanese women experience the need to detach from their identity to allow them to do their duties as a woman. Without their sacrifices and detachment, they would not be able to accept the gender roles that is engraved in society. Kabuo’s identity was completely ignored during the court trial. People only saw Kabuo as an enemy despite his history in protecting
