Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford, shows the struggles and triumphs throughout Henry Lee as a child and as an adult. Ford compares his life as a boy growing up, to the present when Henry has his own family. Henry wants to be a good father for his son, after he had a bad relationship with his own father growing up. Marty Henry’s son grew up like Henry not being very close with his father. Henry grows up in an extremely traditional Chinese household.
From being with her in the kitchen at the elementary school to getting into the Black Elks club to watch Henry, his heart becomes soft for this girl. Keiko is Japanese and is bullied and treated accordingly. When President Roosevelt sent all the Japanese to internment camps, Henry realized how much he would losing if he let her go. He tried everything from trying to persuade her hide out with his aunt to wearing his “I am chinese” button. He even snuck in overnight to see her.
His father was stubborn and traditional. He hadn’t just threatened to disown him-he’d gone through with it” (191). Sadly, Henry’s father allows his hatred for the Japanese to outweigh his love for his son. They struggle to agree on how to treat the Japanese in their community. Henry believes they should be treated normally, just like any other person you’d encounter.
During the Japanese War, Henry is a Chinese American, that goes to an only white school and was forced to work in the kitchen during lunch and clean after school because that was how his scholarship was being paid for. It’s unfair that Henry has to labor to pay for his scholarship when the white kids don’t. He meets a Japanese girl named Keiko and become friends instantly. Henry’s father is not fond of the Japanese but it does not stop Henry from being her friend. Henry’s father does not like the Japanese because of the war which isn’t right
Beatty. Henry and Keiko steadily grow closer and closer to one another, and they both find a certain comradery within their differences. He main difference between them, is that Henry is Chinese and Keiko is Japanese, but digging deeper the reader can find that there is much more than their nationality that is different, that being their family, Keiko’s family is more of a complete unit without any gaps or voids, whereas Henry's is full of separations and conflicts. Keiko has the ability to speak to her parents in a language they both understand, however Henry is forced to only nod in reply. As a final difference, Henry's family is, much less accepting of Keiko than her family is of Henry.
In the book Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford, the lack of communication between Henry and his father has a substantially bad influence on his relationships with Keiko and later, Marty. As a single child in the family, Henry should have a close bond with his parents; however, he could not talk with his father in his native tongue and his father does not understand English very well. In addition, Henry feels further isolated at home when his father disowns him for holding onto Japanese photos for Keiko. He perceives that his father does not understand him. He finds more comfort in getting to know Keiko.
In the novel Hotel On The Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford, characters have to face the stress and pressures of World War II and discrimination against Japanese Americans. There is unfair discrimination against Japanese Americans and the characters must cope with the challenges of the times they are living in. The book takes place during WWII and the 1980s as the protagonist grows up. There are two different father son relationships being portrayed in the novel between young Henry and his father as well as old Henry and his son Marty. Both relationship are facing some challenges which creates two struggling relationships.
Henry intervenes, “putting his ‘I am Chinese’ button on the counter next to Keiko’s two dollars” and saying that he will buy it instead (Ford 114). This act of standing up for Keiko is a significant moment because Henry actively makes his Chinese identity known, using it to his advantage for the first time. His decision to display his button is more than an act of defiance, but an acknowledgment of his cultural identity. Despite facing open discrimination, he steps up and takes a stand against the prejudice directed toward them. As the tension between the United States and Japan continues to grow, Henry’s identity as a Chinese-American becomes increasingly important.
By analyzing the relationship of Henry and Keiko, a change prevails. Henry’s life revolved around Keiko before she was sent to Camp Minnedoka. Henry’s perspective changed about the Japanese when he met Keiko. During
In the novel, Hotel on the corner of bitter and sweet by Jamie Ford, there are many pieces of history that make this novel feel real. The story takes place Seattle Washington. In both the 40s when the main character is at the age of 12, and in the 80s when he is old and retired. Henry is the main character, he is a Chinese kid who grows up trying to live an American Life while being bullied for looking like a Japanese. One great example of this is, "... shoving Henry to the ground-- but not before ripping the button that read "I am Chinese" off Henry's shirt, leaving a small tear"(40).
Where the Wild Things are by Maurice Sendak is an interesting children’s picture book. The main character is a little boy named Max, who has a wild imagination. He uses all five senses as well as thought and his actions to express his personality as well as how he reacts and interacts with his surroundings. Max’s id, ego and super-ego are greatly shown in this book through the way that the author has portrayed him. Not only is this book a children’s story, but it can also be perceived as a life lesson.
In the book “Two Kinds” by Amy Tan, it’s about a little girl who is pressured by her mother to become something she doesn’t want to be. Jing- mei , the daughter, is forced to become a prodigy(child actress), by her mother, and she doesn’t want to be one. In the story, Jing- meis’ mother uses allusions such as Shirley Temple to push her into becoming a prodigy. Although at first Jing- mei is excited to become a prodigy, she later realizes its something she just doesn’t enjoy doing. Consequently, the uses of allusion in the story help Jing- mei discover to not be a prodigy and that what her mother wants for her is not always important.
To be trapped in one's own mind may be the worst prison imaginable. In Charlotte Perkins Gilman's "The Yellow Wallpaper", the narrator of the story is constantly at battle with many different forces, such as John, her husband, the yellow wallpaper that covers the walls of her room, and ultimately herself. Throughout the story the narrator further detaches herself from her life and becomes fixated on the yellow wallpaper that surrounds her in her temporary home, slowly driving her mad. The narrator of "The Yellow Wallpaper" is a major and dynamic character as she is the main character of the story, and throughout the story her personality and ways of thinking change drastically.
Stephanie Plum, Morelli, and Ranger are three main characters in the book, One for the Money, by Janet Evanovich. Stephanie is a young woman struggling to get by in the city of Trenton, New Jersey. After losing her job, she goes against her family’s request and gets the dangerous job of a bounty hunter. She gets assigned Joe Morelli, who was accused of murder and who happened to be a childhood enemy. Stephanie is very inexperienced and receives help from a professional bounty hunter, Ranger.
Acts of loyalty and betrayal appear several times in the story of In the Country of Men through the characters. For it is common to have such actions occur in the story as it aids in making it more interesting and dramatic. In the novel, Hisham Matar demonstrates numerous experiences of devotion and unfaithfulness. Such endeavors appear mostly through Suleiman and Faraj.
