In the book “Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and sweet” there were many themes the author wanted to convey. The main ones I took from it were ‘love is blind’; ‘discrimination destroys lives’ and ‘happy endings are always possible’. The first theme I chose to write about is ‘love is blind’. This concept is important in the book because the author made sure to emphasize how much love can change lives. For example, Henry taking Keiko to the jazz club, even though they might get in trouble if they are caught; shows that Henry loves Keiko and to him it does not matter what might happen. In this case, his love is blind to the rules made to separate people. Another theme I chose to explore is ‘discrimination destroys’. This theme comes up many
“A broken record, he thought. Two halves that will never play again,” (pg 178). Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford is a historical fiction book based on World War 2 in Seattle, Washington. This book is about Henry Lee, a young Chinese boy living in Seattle, who meets a Japanese girl named Keiko. The book discusses the racism towards the Japanese from World War 2, and the internment camps they were sent to. Henry comes from a disconnected family, as he isn’t allowed to speak Chinese or know anybody who is Japanese. As Keiko is Japanese, she is sent to a camp and distances herself from Henry. The book also focuses on Henry in his 50’s, after his beloved wife Ethel had died. It focuses on the same disconnect he has with his own son, and what they overcome to reach closure on his past. Henry as an adult was once very closed off and lonely, but through achieving closure and gaining connection in his
The theme is the subject of the essay and it helps the reader to get the full understanding about the message or a big idea. “School of Hate” by Sabrina Rubin Erdely and “18 Tigers, 17 Lions, 8 Bears, 3 Cougars, 2 Wolves, 1 Baboon, 1 Macaque, and 1 Man Dead in Ohio” by Chris Heath have one similar theme and it is isolation because they both experienced as the outcasts and it was hard for them to getting along with the society. Erdely developed the theme by showing the experiences of a girl in the middle school. The author made the
A person’s current life can be greatly influenced by past experiences, especially when those experiences involve heartbreak and tragedy. In the book Hotel On the Corner of Bitter and Sweet, Henry contends with the communication flaws with his father and his best friend Keiko who who was separated from him due to World war 2. His father’s racial bias towards Keiko and Japanese people in general affects Henry in a very profound way. Racial tension and victimization between two different cultures can have a great impact on family relations and love.
Jamie Ford, the author of Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet, wrote a story about a Chinese boy named Henry and how he fell in love with a Japanese-American girl named Keiko Okabe. Their adorable and heart wrenching love story took place at Seattle, Washington during World War II when tensions rose between Americans, Chinese, and Japanese. In the novel, Henry’s father was a traditional Chinese man who was extremely loyal to his country. Due to his strong devotion to his homeland and resentment toward Japanese people, he disapproved of his son’s friendship with Keiko. As Henry’s affection and admiration grew for Keiko, his relationship with his father suffered. Misunderstandings and built up frustrations emerged from their lack of communication. Henry struggled with communication, the key to forming a strong relationship and a UULO that is significant throughout this novel. Because of this, he had a difficult time maintaining many of his relationships, including the one with his father, Keiko and his son, Marty.
A theme is the meaning behind a story, occasionally defined as the moral of the story. Themes can differ from one end of the world to the other, as it does in many books. The Droughtlanders by Carrie Mac is a futuristic version of the world which has been divided into two parts. The rich and the poor, the healthy and the sick, otherwise known as Keyland and Droughtland. Keyland is where all the rich people with extravagant lands and lives live. Droughtland is a disease-ridden land where all poor people are being forced to live. Society treats Droughtland poorly and they decide to take action. Thus starting the revolution. Carrie Mac portrays many themes in different ways throughout the book. However the major theme the book revolves around is that; No matter how rich or poor a person is, or what gender, race, or sexuality they are, in the end, they are all the same and deserve to be treated equally. In addition, the book shows that when everyone is treated equally there is so much more that everyone can accomplish. The theme is being portrayed through the narrative point of view, setting and atmosphere, and character development.
Being held by your word because you make a promise, or commitment is frustrating and tough. You don’t always want to do what you promised because it could be hard, or get you into trouble. Throughout the book Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet, Henry and Keiko’s relationship comes at a cost. They make commitments that comes with sacrifices which makes them hard to keep. Through Henry and Keiko’s relationship Ford shows that commitment is difficult.
Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford is a book mostly about self-reliance and maintaining friendship. One theme is self reliance because in the book, Henry is able to do what he think is right and he is able to make decisions without others influencing them. In the novel, Henry's Dad does not approve of Keiko because she is Japanese and he is Chinese. The father does everything that he can do to stop Keiko and Henry from continuing their friendship and crush. He goes to Henry and straight up forbids him to see her. Henry defies his father and continues to be with Keiko, causing his father to practically disown him, and forcing his mother to do the same. They did not communicate with one another for years, and right up
Rebirth is an over arching theme in the book, Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet, written by Jamie Ford. One of the main symbols of second rebirth is the ever-present Oscar Holden record. The records symbolizes not only Henry and Keiko’s relationship, but how it can be renewed. From when Henry and Keiko buy the record, to Henry finding it 40 years later, the record always has a strong significance in the book.
Jamie Ford’s book "Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet," is a story about the experiences and hardships that Japanese-Americans suffered during World War II. The protagonist Henry, a twelve-year old Chinese-American boy at the time of the war, reacted with more than just curiosity. The story opens with the news that belongings of several families who were interned is more than just curiosity; he had a deep personal connection to the events of the past and the story uncovers his memories. Henry had done a good job of burying his forgotten dreams, much like the artifacts found in the basement of the Panama Hotel. But just as in real life, when people try to ignore past events, the truth that lies in their heart cannot be denied. Sometimes, it can be something simple, like a parasol, to unlock those truths, but in Hotel, certain objects unlock the symbolism of life itself. Objects are powerful, as they represent not only moments in time, but people 's emotions, motivations, and ultimately, their identity.
Imagine going through life without any emotions or feelings for anyone. Life would be methodical and boring; one should be enjoying their life with friends and loved ones. Ones character would be affected greatly without relationships intertwined within ones life. Life would be more enjoyable when having someone to share good and bad memories. It is always best to keep the most important relationships closest to the heart. By doing this, dealing with life struggles can become a much more easy ordeal. In the book, Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet, Henry and Keiko were always there for each other. Jamie Ford, the author, was able to portray two best friends that shared an ordinary yet unique childhood.
In the novel Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford, a common theme and a UULO demonstrated how it’s critical to maintain good communication between relationships to prevent confusion. Henry demonstrated the importance of good communication as the lack of communication caused a division between his parents and Henry, which later influenced how Marty and Henry communicated with each other.
The hotel on the corner of bitter and sweet is a novel written by Jamie Ford. This book takes place in between 1940s to 1990s, during the World War II. This is when the Japanese’s were forced into concentration camps. Some were temporarily to live in horse stalls. This is a fictional story between a Japanese girl and a Chinese boy. Jamie Ford uses characters to show most relationships can survive anything.
theme of how the important characters as vehicles to convey the theme familial love and
To begin with, one major theme that continuously played a part throughout the entire book is desire. To many of the characters, it was the one urge that they could never overcome. One
The Father son relationships in Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford are very important to the book and crucial to the theme. For example, Henry and Mr. Lee do not have a great relationships and because of that, Henry can be more independent and have a relationship with Keiko. If he father had not said “‘No more. Only speak you american.’ The words came out in Chinglish” (Ford 12). When his father said this there relationship decreased a lot and they no longer talked. Marty Lee, Henrys son relies on his father but doesn't talk to him much after Ethel dies and he goes to college. “ But college also seemed to keep him out of Henrys life. which had been acceptable while Ethel was alive, but now it made the hole in Henry’s life