Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Belonging, Bigotry, and Identity
Silence vs. Communication
Family Dynamics and Inheritance
Memory
Love and Self-Sacrifice
Summary
Analysis
The next day, Henry feels rejuvenated. He resolves to find another Oscar Holden record to bring Keiko as a birthday present. At breakfast, Henry’s father announces that Chinese nationalist forces in China have gained the upper hand against Japanese imperialist invaders. “Next school year,” Henry’s father says, “you can go to Canton.” Henry is horrified by the thought; to him, China is “a foreign country.” Before Henry can argue with his father, Henry’s mother presents him with a shopping list and sends him out to run errands.
This scene emphasizes Henry’s sense of isolation as a first-generation American: he is too Chinese to belong in an American school, and worries he will be too American to belong in a Chinese school. Another important aspect of this scene is the genuine excitement Henry’s father feels. Though he is harsh and uncompromising in imposing his beliefs on his son, Henry’s father truly believes that he is giving his son the best opportunities he is able to give.
Themes
While out shopping, Henry decides to use the money he’s saved working with Mrs. Beatty in the camp to buy a new sketchbook and some art supplies for Keiko’s birthday. He also decides to talk to Sheldon about getting a new Oscar Holden record to replace the one Keiko left in the Panama Hotel before going to Camp Harmony.
In the same way that Keiko saved her money to buy the Oscar Holden record for Henry, Henry plans to use his saved money to buy birthday presents for Keiko. The two cherish one another, and are committed to expressing their affection even though they have not yet determined how to do so verbally.
Themes
On his way to find Sheldon, Henry walks past the Panama Hotel, which is now boarded up. He realizes he might be able to sneak in and retrieve Keiko’s record from the basement, but when he crosses behind the hotel, Henry finds Chaz Preston, Will Whitworth, and several other school bullies also trying to break into the building. “Where’s your girlfriend, Henry?” Chaz taunts, adding: “Better get used to me. My dad’s going to buy all these buildings, so we might end up neighbors.”
Mr. Preston’s plans to take over large swaths of Nihonmachi suggests how willing those in power are to ignore and even forget the suffering of others in order to consolidate their power. Chaz’s comments also suggest that he has inherited some of the racism he espouses from his father; though the narrative never explicitly confirms this, Chaz’s father buying up the interned families’ property from under them is certainly cruel and callous.
Themes
Frightened but determined, Henry grabs an old broom handle lying in a pile of nearby garbage and wields it against Chaz. “You think you can beat us all up?” Chaz mocks. “You might get me eventually,” Henry says, “but I know one of you’ll be going home with a limp.” Henry swings the broom handle again, and the boys back away. Henry turns around to see two armed soldiers behind him. “No more looting, kid,” says one of the soldiers. “I don’t care who you are—beat it.” Henry hurries away, in the direction of Sheldon’s neighborhood. As he leaves, he spots Chaz and his friends being questioned by the police.
In this scene, Henry seems to tap into the sense of confidence and belonging he found when he confronted Chaz at the train station. Here, Henry is coming to the defense of Nihonmachi itself, in refusing to allow his racist classmates to vandalize the building that is housing the treasured belongings of the imprisoned Japanese American families. Now that Henry has been inspired to stand up on behalf of others, it seems that Chaz holds less emotional power over him.
Themes
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