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Family shaping ones identity
The hotel on the corner of bitter and sweet theme essay
A conclusion about the themes in the book hotel on the corner of bitter and sweet
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Recommended: Family shaping ones identity
Relationships have the ability to change a persons life. The relationships people have with others are the reason they became who they are as a person. In the novel, Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet, by Jamie Ford, the main character Henry faces many relationships which greatly impact his life. Henry's relationships with his father, his son, and Keiko has changed his life and made him become the person he is today.
Henry's relationship with his father was rough to say the least, but it did help shape him into the person he was . The two of them never really saw eye to eye. His father, who grew up in China, had very strong opinions about opinions against the Japanese. When Henry told him about his Japanese friend Keiko, he did not
approve. For months they would not communicate with each other, not until his father suffered from a stroke and was in the hospital. Henry went in and saw him and apologized for betraying him, but the response from his father was ". . .'stranger.' As in 'You are a stranger to me.'" (207). When Henry grew older, he realized that it was because of his father that he never went back to that place he grew up. Marty, Henry's son, also impacted his life greatly. They were never really close and often got into arguments. His wife and Marty's mom Ethel, became very ill in her last few years. Before she died she told them, "but if anything, when I go, hope my passing brings the two of you together", (40). Six months after she passes, Henry brings Marty and his fiancée, Samantha, to the Panama Hotel which was where people have just recovered old belongings from the Japanese when Henry was a kid. He asks Marty and Samantha to come and help him look for some specific things as he tells them about his childhood and what he went through. The relationship Henry had with Keiko was the one that changed his life the most. Because she was Japanese American and he was Chinese American, it was difficult for them to be together outside of school given the time and the events that were happening. Henry would do anything to help keep her and her family from going away into interment camps. Although she did end up being put away, Henry found ways to sneak in to see her. They frequently wrote letters, but after some time they lost connection and stopped.
Before going to Alaska, Chris McCandless had failed to communicate with his family while on his journey; I believe this was Chris’s biggest mistake. Chris spent time with people in different parts of the nation while hitchhiking, most of them whom figured out that McCandless kept a part of him “hidden”. In chapter three, it was stated that Chris stayed with a man named Wayne Westerberg in South Dakota. Although Westerberg was not seen too often throughout the story, nevertheless he was an important character. Introducing himself as Alex, McCandless was in Westerberg’s company for quite some time: sometimes for a few days, other times for several weeks. Westerberg first realized the truth about Chris when he discovered his tax papers, which stated that “McCandless’s real name was Chris, not Alex.” Wayne further on claims that it was obvious that “something wasn’t right between him and his family” (Krakauer 18). Further in the book, Westerberg concluded with the fact that Chris had not spoken to his family “for all that time, treating them like dirt” (Krakauer 64). Westerberg concluded with the fact that during the time he spent with Chris, McCandless neither mentioned his
I know the theme is acceptance strengthens bonds between family and friends.Because the text says Henry is on lunch duty in his all white school when he is joined by a Japanese girl named Keiko. At first, he is dumbfounded but slowly starts to accept her as the other white kids are teasing them. They share a can of peaches in the school pantry and Henry enjoys his time with her very much. A quote from the text Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet says “Then they ate their lunch, together, splitting a can of pears in the storage room. Henry thought they tasted especially good that day.” These sentences have a much deeper meaning than they appeared to have. The moment Henry and Keiko shared in the storage room was the blossom of their friendship.
In the Lilies of the Field by William E. Barrett, Homer and Mother Maria both display straightforward, hardworking, and stubborn character traits. Firstly, Homer and Mother Maria both display a straightforward personality by being brutally honest about their opinions. For example, when Mother Maria asks Homer to build a chapel, Homer speaks his mind by telling her he does not want to build it. Mother Maria shows her straightforward behavior during Homer’s stay at the convent. One morning, when Homer sleeps in late, Mother to becomes extremely upset and is not afraid to show how she feels about him. Secondly, both Homer and Mother Maria display a hardworking spirit. Homer is a hardworking man because after finally agreeing to build the chapel,
In these five paragraphs I will be writing about the book “Hotel on the Corner of Sweet and Bitter” written by Jamie Ford and five quotation that important and made up the theme for me. This book gives a feel a lot of different emotions. The first quote was “‘You are Chinese aren’t you,Henry? That’s fine. Be who you are, she said, turning away, a look of disappointment in her eyes. “But I’m an American’’(p. 60). This quote is important because it shows how Keiko believes even if her parents are Japanese she feels more American then Japanese since she barely spoke Japanese.
In Tunes for Bears to Dance to the Henry has hardly any friendship with his father. His
Both of these excellent stories illustrated how parents can set up their children for failure. Parents may want the best for their children, and they want them to be smart and successful, but it does not always turn out that way. Ultimately, Jing-mei was a disappointment to her mother but finally found contentment as an adult. Children want their parents' love and support, their attention, and unconditional love. Henry did not have any of those things, and he grew up to be as emotionally distant as his parents. As adults, we can only try to analyze our own upbringing and avoid unintended consequences in raising our own children.
People have goals everyday, believe it or not some people think that dreams aren't worth it. I believe that it is worth it to dream because it gives a person a goal, it makes them feel good, and it makes them stronger. I know this from The Pearl, A Cubs video, the Susan Boyle video, and We Beat the streets.
Henry’s father is on his death bed; his last words are to Henry: “Wo wi ni zuo,” which translates to “I did it for you,” (Ford 263). For months Henry had sent letters to Keiko and seldom got a reply which lead him to believe that Keiko had lost interest in him and that she had moved on. This caused him much distress and disappointment. Upon hearing
Henry’s father, a strict, war-obsessed man essentially dictates Henry’s life, distancing the two as Henry continues to oppose his father’s views. Because of his father’s controlling ways, there is little love to be lost between the father and son. This animosity between them can be seen when Henry is about to leave his apartment to retrieve the family photos of his Japanese friend Keiko. His father tells him that should Henry leave to help Keiko, he “[is] no longer part of this family” (Ford 185).
Chuck Palahniuk once said “The only way to find true happiness is to risk being completely cut open.” When Clarisse asked Montag if he was happy, he thought, and thought about it, until finally, he found out he really wasn’t happy. Guy Montag risked his family, his career, and his life, just to hold banished readings within his home. He went against society to do what he thought was right, even if that meant punishment or death. Montag was a hero because he tried to bring back freedom and independent thought, show off author’s greatest works, and even though he rebelled, and killed a man, he did it with good intentions to help the rest of society.
...a of what his life would have been had he been born and raised by an American Family. This shows that he has been trying to run away from the shadow of his own Culture in an effort to gain acceptance in the American Culture. However, his unruly behavior might have resulted due to the lack of support from his family especially his father. His father’s determination of trying to keep him bounded to the Korean tradition and values might have what actually pushed Henry away. For example, when Henry decides to take an American girl to the Spring Dance, his father justifies her interest in her son due his financial background. He says to Henry, “You real dummy, Henry. Don’t you know? You just free dance ticket. She just using you” (Pg. 74). This illustrates that Henry has been struggling to gain his father’s respect and approval in him but was never able to achieve that.
Even though I did not find William Paul Young’s novel The Shack fascinating, but it is highly meticulous in settings and sketching of its main character Mackenzie Allen Phillips (Mack). The novel begins with depiction of a winter storm which introduces Mack who gets injured when he goes out to check his mail. In the mail, he gets an envelope that has the message “Mckenzie, It’s been a while. I’ve missed you. I’ll be at the shack next weekend if you want to get together ---Papa” (18). This message eventually becomes the theme of the novel. In the beginning, it appears that Missy, Mack’s daughter, seems to be the dominant character of the novel. As she disappeared during the family vacation, the novel gives readers the impression that the story
What draws the line between a good person and a bad person? In most cases is seems that there is a finely determined division between the morals of the protagonist and the antagonist, but in the book Dark Places the morals get a bit muddled. The novel focuses around the main character, Libby Day, decades after the slaughter of her family. Traditionally the protagonist is a likable, good person, but throughout the story her true morals are revealed. The antagonist of the story is supposed to have a completely poor moral compass, but in the book this is also not the case. The truth is, in the book, none of the characters are good people.
An important event in the book, Hotel on the Corner of the Bitter and Sweet, is when Henry’s father gives him an ultimatum, to choose between Keiko and his family, and without hesitation he chose Keiko. Before all of this, all Japanese in the U.S. were being persecuted because of their assumption to be apart of Pearl Harbor. Henry, on the other hand, was American- Chinese meaning he was born in the U.S. and having parents who are Chinese. But he was always mistaken for being Japanese even though he had a patch he wore every day saying he was American- Chinese. He went to an American school where he was the only American- Chinese until Keiko came along who was American- Japanese. They became the best of friends and worked together at the cafeteria-serving
Henry’s character is introduced in the movie when his cousin Mark, who is just about the same age as him, suddenly comes to stay with their family because his father had to go away on business. Mark’s mother recently passed away right in front of his eyes and he was still dealing with the repercussions of it all. Dealing with feelings of loneliness, Mark immediately developed a close bond with Henry. He found Henry to be adventurous and nice but was not aware of who Henry really was and what he was experiencing. At first, Henry seemed like a decent young boy who enjoyed experimenting with new things. On ...