In snow falling on cedars, the cedar tree is a symbol of safety and security. Many uncontrollable storms rip through this small community, but the cedar tree stays safe. harboring Ishmael from the destruction. A storm very similar to the one shown during the trial was the reason for Carl’s death. If the storm hadn’t been there, he would have never gone on the wrong track, leaving him in a dangerous lagoon prone to boats wakes much bigger then his own. A rainstorm is what originally drove Ishmael and Hatsue to the cedar tree. This tree later becomes a refuge for Ishmael to express his love to Hatsue (a love that breaks all racial and ethical boundaries because she is married and Japanese). It is a dead, hollowed out place isolated from the rest of society. Because it is so isolated, it allows him to be his full self and express his true feelings. The fact that this isolation is the only place where their relationship can exist peacefully also shows that it is not strong enough to be in the real world. This tree exists in a world unaffected by the pressures that society places, the misfortune constantly befalling, and the racism all to common in the community. It becomes a mark of false hope for Ishmael who has no real life outside of this dream world he has created.This story is riveting in everyway, as shown in the motion picturet. which really takes to screen the themes and symbols that were so prevelant in the novel