Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet Themes
Race
Race plays a huge part in character relationships in Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet—especially because the story takes place during World War II, when prejudice against Japanese American...
Memory and the Past
At the beginning of Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet, we meet Henry when he's an old man. But most of the story takes place in the past, when he's a young boy living in Seattle during the tu...
Language and Communication
It isn't always easy to say what's in your heart, but the characters in Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet sure make a solid attempt at it. In the beginning when we meet young Henry's family,...
Family
Ah, the joys of family. Like plenty of other people, Henry loves his family a whole lot, but that doesn't mean he finds them easy to be around. In Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet, Henry str...
Isolation
Even though Henry is technically "lucky" in Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet because he's Chinese American instead of Japanese American, his Asian looks set him apart from the rest of the wo...
Love
There are many different types of love on display in Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet: romantic love, familial love, love of music, and even love of country (or the lack thereof). But the bi...
Warfare
In Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet, World War II looms in the background and informs much of what the characters do and how their lives play out. Henry falls in love with Keiko, a Japanese...
Guilt and Blame
Although Henry is just a little boy in Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet, he takes on a lot of adult responsibilities, even going so far as to blame himself when things go wrong, as though he...
Perseverance
Even though hanging out with Keiko doesn't make life easier for Henry in plenty of ways, he continues to care for her in Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet despite the obstacles and naysayers...
Principles
Henry is able to slog through the toughest of times in Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet because he is firm in his principles and moral code. Even though he's young, he knows what he believes...