Analysis Of Hotel On The Corner Of Bitter And Sweet By Jamie Ford

In the times of World War II, thousands of Japanese American citizens were taken from their homes, and Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet (285) by Jamie Ford follows the heart-breaking journey through a young Chinese boy’s experiences in this touching historical fiction. While the book mainly focuses on the boy, Henry’s, childhood events, it also allows readers to meet him again 40 years in the future. During his younger years, Henry and his newfound friend, Keiko, face many challenges, most of which caused by the war and racial tensions around them. Later on, as a 50 year old man, he must cope with the death of his wife and mend the relations between him and his son, while also reminiscing upon his past.

Among Henry’s many conflicts

The store clerk ignored and discriminated against them, before begrudgingly agreeing to sell them the record. Outside of the store, Keiko expresses her anguish, “I was born here. I don’t even speak Japanese. Still, all these people, everywhere I go...they hate me”(114). She continues to convey that it is not just the discriminatory actions that she feels hurt by, but by the fact that the lady was an adult; conscious and well-knowing of her own actions. Henry finishes her thoughts, “You’d think grown-ups would act different”(115). This scene is not particularly dramatic or crucial to the plot, but I feel like it really describes the level of distaste “Americans” had against Asian races, or the Japanese specifically, at the time. While disagreements and fights between adults, or even between schoolchildren, about race are unjustified, the thought of grown adults refusing service to innocent children and treating them without respect, I feel, crosses the line. When Keiko admits that she has grown accustomed to the constant, daily teasing and slurs used to attack her at school, it already proves there is something wrong with the society of that time. That the bullies are kids might make the situation a little more understandable, how children will be children with their cruel, ignorant ways. What Keiko did not expect

The book as a whole was fairly easy to read and comprehend, although I felt the level of excitement and engagement was inconsistent. At the beginning of the book, some sections were slightly difficult to push through, just with a few extensive descriptions and slow moving plot. But I do feel like the lengthy introductions were necessary and helped fuel the rest of the book to be more interesting. I believe any gender, age, or race can appreciate this book, albeit hints of cute romance between Henry and Keiko might be a little bit more appealing to girls. The book has brought to my attention and educated me more on the situation and environment certain races faced during World War II, and has given me more insight on racial discrimination, specifically during wartime. Jamie Ford utilized childhood innocence as well as nostalgia to accentuate some of the harsh realities of Asian American citizens during that time, and also discussed many other pressing morals, such as filial piety and coping with the death of loved ones. With its many layers and variety of topics that are examined through Henry’s life, I feel this book was very much worth reading. Initially, I thought the story would not be particularly stirring, and was under the impression that the story was only about a small tunnel-visioned boy’s view of the war. But I have been impressed by the level of meanings and significance that I was