Teacher Guide

Snow Country Lesson Plan

Introduction to Snow Country

Snow Country is considered Kawabata’s most famous and best-written novel. It is one of the novels the Nobel committee cited when they chose him for the Nobel Prize in 1968. It tells the story of a country geisha and the patron she falls in love with. Shimamura is a rich ballet critic who has never seen a ballet. Komako is a young, passionate geisha who desires the kind of love her profession restricts her from. It is set in a remote hot-spring town in what is known as “snow country,” which, as the name suggests, is an area that experiences heavy snowfall. Snow Country is written in Kawabata’s classic lyrical, sparse prose. The setting is incredibly important in this novel particularly...

Join Now to View Premium Content

GradeSaver provides access to 2368 study guide PDFs and quizzes, 11018 literature essays, 2791 sample college application essays, 926 lesson plans, and ad-free surfing in this premium content, “Members Only” section of the site! Membership includes a 10% discount on all editing orders.

Join Now

Already a member? Log in