Hotel On The Corner Of Bitter And Sweet By Jamie Ford

Maya Angelou once said, â€Å"I can be changed by what happens to me, but I refuse to be reduced by it.† This quote encompasses the idea that change is inevitable. A person is involved in numerous relationships during their lifetime and what happens within them can change who they become in the future. Within the novel, Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford, the relationships that Henry Lee has developed throughout his lifetime have shaped him into the person he is today. To begin, the relationship between Henry and his father has a huge impact on who he is today. Henry and his father never seemed to see eye to eye. The country of China, Mr. Lee’s childhood home, was the only place that his family belonged to in his eyes.†¦show more content†¦Marty and Henry have a relationship close to that of Henry and his own father. They do not talk much, and they have never been close. Ethel, Henry s wife was the glue that stuck the two men together. In essence, both men were bound to their fathers through their mothers. Marty is Henry s only son, and he himself had been an only child. After Ethel passed away, Marty came around more, and their relationship started to grow. Eventually Marty introduces Henry to Samantha, his girlfriend, and Henry seems to open up to an even further extent. He is very accepting of the fact that Sam is Caucasian, and not Chinese. Marty is surprised at this fact, and thus begins the unveiling of Henry’s past. Ma rty ultimately realizes that Henry is not his grandfather, and they take the first step into a stronger bond. Following the trips to the Panama Hotel, the two are more connected than they ever had been. Marty encourages his father to find Keiko again, and not to completely give up on his first love. Henry’s relationship with Marty helped him learn acceptance in a way that he will love Marty no matter the circumstances. He will sacrifice to no ends to make sure Marty is able to attend college, and that he is happy. Another key lesson that Henry learned is to follow his dreams, and that it is never too late to chase them. Marty and Samantha both encouraged HenryShow MoreRelatedAnalysis Of Hotel On The Corner Of Bitter And Sweet, By Jamie Ford986 Words   |  4 PagesThe novel â€Å"Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet,† written by Jamie Ford is a compelling novel about a young Chinese American boy name Henry. Henry is growing up after the Pearl Harbor incident and th e start of the internment camps for Japanese Americans. Henry’s ethnicity as a Chinese American affects his childhood in being bulled in school, having a distant relationship with his parents, and causes issues with his first love Keiko, a Japanese American girl. First, by looking at the way Henry’sRead MoreStages of Life in Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford1620 Words   |  6 PagesHotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet Jamie Ford’s novel Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet follows the life of Henry Lee at two diverse stages of his life. The book focuses on Henry’s life in 1942 when he was twelve-years-old and in 1986 when he is an old widowed father. The book begins with old Henry walking passed the Panama Hotel, which was in the 1940s a gateway between Seattle’s Chinatown and Japantown. The hotel has long been deserted, and boarded up since War World 2 and is underRead MoreLiterary Analysis: Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet as a Historical Fiction1280 Words   |  6 PagesLiterary Analysis: Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet as a Historical Fiction In Jamie Ford’s historical fiction Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet, this split narrative focuses on two eras: 1942 and 1986. Within these era’s, Ford’s novel focuses on a Chinese boy, Henry Lee, and what it was like to grow up in the international district with prejudice everywhere, especially in his own family being a first generation American. His novel tells the story of Henry, as well as a Japanese girlRead MoreAnalysis Of Hotel On The Corner Of Bitter And Sweet ``1404 Words   |  6 Pagesunconditionally, and someone who is there for life†. McCorkle’s description of a â€Å"gold friend† reminds me of a novel I recently read called â€Å"Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet† where friendship is universal and described as a bridge that connect all social gaps including gender, race and differences in abilities. Throughout the book, author Jamie Ford has succeeded to show readers that friendship is the most precious gift of life and it is also the most valuable thing to pursuit by giving detailsRead MoreHotel On The Corner Of Bitter And Sweet1528 Words   |  7 PagesThe historical fiction Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford is an almost quintessential illustration of the idea that love can exist anywhere without parameters. Clearly, this idea is seen with the relationship between Henry Lee, a Chinese American boy residing in Seattle, and Keiko Okabe, a Japanese American girl who falls victim to the atrocious Japanese American internment policy put forth by the United States government during World War 2. Despite the clashes and deep-seatedRead MoreThe And Hotel On The Corner Of Bitter And Sweet By Jamie For By James D. Houston1056 Words   |  5 Pagescamps, hoping one day the war can end and their freedom begin. In the two works, Farewell to Manzanar by James D. Houston and Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie For, each portrays the struggles throughout the certain time period. Farewell to Manzanar presents the topic by using a series of dated journal entries, while Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet presents it as a topic and time period, with flashbacks to present day and the past. While both works depict the troubles Japanese-Read MoreAnalysis Of Hotel On The Corner Of Bitter And Sweet934 Words   |  4 PagesHotel on the Corner of Bitter and sweet Jamie Ford writes â€Å"Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and sweet† and the publisher of the book is Ballantine Books. They published the book in English on 1st February 2009. â€Å"Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet† story sets during one of the most conflicted and volatile times in American history. The time period of the story is after the Pearl Harbor boomed and the internment of American-Japanese families during the World War II. â€Å"Hotel of the corner bitterRead MoreHotel On The Corner Of Bitter And Sweet Analysis949 Words   |  4 Pagesâ€Å"True love is like ghosts, which everyone talks about and few have seen†. This is a quote said by Francois de La Rochefoucauld, which explains the rarity of true love. In Jamie Ford’s novel, Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet, the record of Oscar Holden symbolizes the relationship between Henry and Keiko, which is sensed as true love. Throughout the book, Henry and Keiko experience many ups and downs in their relationships which can be reflected by the treatment and condition of the record.Read MoreHotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet700 Words   |  3 PagesSet in the turmoil of WW2, Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet is a love of bitterness and sweetness book involving a Japanese girl, Keiko, and a Chinese boy, Henry. They strives to keep their relationship and deal with the consequences inflicted upon them by their parents and the wa r. As the story rolls along, many thoughts occurred that Henry and Keiko would be able to marry, but a twist happens, which results in their separation; unquestionably, Henry and Keiko moves on to have their own familyRead MoreHotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet2605 Words   |  11 PagesHotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet Book Review Summary of Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet is a story that explores the experiences of Chinese and Japanese Americans during World War II with both insight and compassion. The story begins in 1986 with Henry, an elderly Chinese-American man walking past the Panama hotel in Seattle, which has been boarded up since the war. Memorabilia within the basement of the hotel take Henry back