Guterson makes extensive use of dualism or dichotomy in Snow Falling on Cedars. In literature, this device allows the author to explore the main themes of the novel by comparing two things that contrast each other within the story.
Japanese and White. Probably the most obvious dualism in the story is that of San Piedro's Japanese and White populations. The two populations don't make much effort to understand each other's culture, even though children of both races attend the same schools and pick strawberries together in the summer time.
The Japanese hold no positions of power in the San Piedro community, as evidenced by the fact that "the foreman, a white man" oversees their picking. Guterson's decision to add the "white man" qualifier further suggests the separation and balance of power that exists between the two races. In fact, the only time the groups come together in any meaningful way is for the annual Strawberry Festival. The day after the strawberry festival "at noon traditionally, the Japanese began picking raspberries." Note that Guterson makes no mention of Whites working in the berry fields after the Strawberry Festival. Certainly, the White islanders went back to work the next day as well, but by omitting that information, Guterson implies that the Japanese are held to a different set of standards than their White peers.
