Hotel On The Corner Of Bitter And Sweet By Jamie Ford

The historical fiction novel titled "Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet" by Jamie Ford, depicts relationships and their importance. As the novel bounces back and fourth in the mid to early 1900's many relationships are expressed. A time of resentment was going on between the Japanese and the Chinese. The cultural clash of the time period contributes greatly to the attitude and tone of the text. As the novel progresses important bonds and relationships are formed. The most notable relationships are between Henry and his father, Henry and his son Marty, and Henry and Keiko. The importance of relationships is expressed and explained in a number of ways throughout the novel. First, the relationship between Henry and his father really is
Keiko is a Japanese girl that Henry meets at Rainer Elementary School. Henry knows that he is not allowed to have any relations with a Japanese person, let alone a Japanese girl. Henry occasionally sneaks out to see and be with Keiko often for no apparent reason. As the novel goes on Keiko ends up being taken to a Japanese internment camp, which greatly worries Henry. However, before Keiko is taken away he thinks about how much she means to him when the author says, “Henry wasn’t so sure. It was all he’d known growing up. Keiko wrapped her arms around him and whispered in his ear, ‘I won’t forget you.’ She pinned the button reading “I am Chinese” to the inside cover of her diary, holding it close. ‘I’ll be here.’ Henry said” (135). Henry writes letters upon letters and tries to stay in touch with his best friend, but he never gets any sort of reply in return. This relationship shapes the whole novel because of the cultural clash of the time period. Henry perseveres through the common beliefs and pursues a relationship with innocent Keiko. A lesson is to be learned from this relationship. Regardless of what culture someone is from a strong relationship can be formed with anyone as long as effort and care are