Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet

Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet

by

Jamie Ford

Henry’s Father Character Analysis

A Chinese nationalist, Henry’s father is virulently anti-Japanese. While he is very traditional, Henry’s father also wants his son to be as American as possible. He sends Henry to an all-white school and insists that his son speak only English at home. Henry’s father is depicted as a bitter, close-minded man whose own strong feelings prevent him from seeing that his son’s path to happiness might not look anything like what he imagines. Henry’s father disowns Henry for maintaining a relationship with Keiko, and he even arranges to stop Henry’s and Keiko’s letters from reaching each other when Keiko is imprisoned at Camp Minidoka. Up until the minute he dies, Henry’s father remains convinced that he did what was best for his son. As an adult, Henry begins to realize that he has unintentionally repeated some of his father’s mistakes, most considerably a lack of communication with his own son, Marty. This realization (which is catalyzed in part by Marty’s fiancée, Samantha) motivates Henry to open up more lines of communication with his son, including sharing painful parts of his past that he had previously kept hidden.

Henry’s Father Quotes in Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet

The Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet quotes below are all either spoken by Henry’s Father or refer to Henry’s Father. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
Belonging, Bigotry, and Identity Theme Icon
).
Speak Your American (1942) Quotes

He listened to his father during these lopsided, one-way conversations, but he never talked back. In fact, Henry rarely talked at all, except in English to acknowledge his advancing skills. But since his father understood only Cantonese and a little Mandarin, the conversations came as waves, back and forth, tidal shores of separate oceans.

Related Characters: Henry Lee, Henry’s Father
Page Number: 46
Explanation and Analysis:

“Why do you like jazz so much?” Keiko asked.

“I don’t know,” Henry said. […] “Maybe because it’s so different, but people everywhere still like it, they just accept musicians, no matter what color they are. Plus, my father hates it.”

“Why does he hate it?”

“Because it’s too different, I guess.”

Related Characters: Henry Lee (speaker), Keiko Okabe (speaker), Henry’s Father
Page Number: 49
Explanation and Analysis:
Executive Orders (1942) Quotes

His father had devoted most of his life to nationalist causes, all aimed at furthering the Three People’s Principles proclaimed by the late Chinese president. […] as Henry grasped the point of his father’s enthusiasm in these small local conflicts with Japanese Americans, it was mixed with a fair amount of confusion and contradiction. Father believed in a government of the people but was wary of who those people were.

Related Characters: Henry Lee, Henry’s Father
Page Number: 68
Explanation and Analysis:
Ume (1986) Quotes

But more than that, Henry hated being compared with his own father. In Marty’s eyes, the plum hadn’t fallen far from the tree; if anything, it was clinging stubbornly to the branches. That’s what I’ve taught him by my example, Henry thought.

Related Characters: Henry Lee, Henry’s Father, Marty Lee
Page Number: 84
Explanation and Analysis:
Home Again (1942) Quotes

It made Keiko’s situation, while bleak, seem so much more appealing. Henry caught himself feeling a twinge of jealousy. At least she was with her family. For now anyway. At least they understood. At least they wouldn’t send her away.

Related Characters: Henry Lee, Keiko Okabe, Henry’s Father
Page Number: 167
Explanation and Analysis:
Camp Anyway (1942) Quotes

“[My father]’s disowned me. My parents stopped speaking to me this week. But my mother still sort of acts like I’m around.” The words came out so casually, even Henry was surprised at how normal it felt. But communication in his home had been far from ordinary for almost a year; this was just a new, final wrinkle.

Related Characters: Henry Lee (speaker), Keiko Okabe, Henry’s Father, Henry’s Mother
Page Number: 193
Explanation and Analysis:
V-J Day (1945) Quotes

He’d wondered what his father would do to occupy his time now that the Japanese had surrendered. Then again, he knew the war would go on in his father’s mind. This time it would be the Kuomintang, the nationalists versus the communists. China’s struggle would continue, and so would his father’s.

Related Characters: Henry Lee, Henry’s Father
Page Number: 260
Explanation and Analysis:
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Henry’s Father Quotes in Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet

The Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet quotes below are all either spoken by Henry’s Father or refer to Henry’s Father. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
Belonging, Bigotry, and Identity Theme Icon
).
Speak Your American (1942) Quotes

He listened to his father during these lopsided, one-way conversations, but he never talked back. In fact, Henry rarely talked at all, except in English to acknowledge his advancing skills. But since his father understood only Cantonese and a little Mandarin, the conversations came as waves, back and forth, tidal shores of separate oceans.

Related Characters: Henry Lee, Henry’s Father
Page Number: 46
Explanation and Analysis:

“Why do you like jazz so much?” Keiko asked.

“I don’t know,” Henry said. […] “Maybe because it’s so different, but people everywhere still like it, they just accept musicians, no matter what color they are. Plus, my father hates it.”

“Why does he hate it?”

“Because it’s too different, I guess.”

Related Characters: Henry Lee (speaker), Keiko Okabe (speaker), Henry’s Father
Page Number: 49
Explanation and Analysis:
Executive Orders (1942) Quotes

His father had devoted most of his life to nationalist causes, all aimed at furthering the Three People’s Principles proclaimed by the late Chinese president. […] as Henry grasped the point of his father’s enthusiasm in these small local conflicts with Japanese Americans, it was mixed with a fair amount of confusion and contradiction. Father believed in a government of the people but was wary of who those people were.

Related Characters: Henry Lee, Henry’s Father
Page Number: 68
Explanation and Analysis:
Ume (1986) Quotes

But more than that, Henry hated being compared with his own father. In Marty’s eyes, the plum hadn’t fallen far from the tree; if anything, it was clinging stubbornly to the branches. That’s what I’ve taught him by my example, Henry thought.

Related Characters: Henry Lee, Henry’s Father, Marty Lee
Page Number: 84
Explanation and Analysis:
Home Again (1942) Quotes

It made Keiko’s situation, while bleak, seem so much more appealing. Henry caught himself feeling a twinge of jealousy. At least she was with her family. For now anyway. At least they understood. At least they wouldn’t send her away.

Related Characters: Henry Lee, Keiko Okabe, Henry’s Father
Page Number: 167
Explanation and Analysis:
Camp Anyway (1942) Quotes

“[My father]’s disowned me. My parents stopped speaking to me this week. But my mother still sort of acts like I’m around.” The words came out so casually, even Henry was surprised at how normal it felt. But communication in his home had been far from ordinary for almost a year; this was just a new, final wrinkle.

Related Characters: Henry Lee (speaker), Keiko Okabe, Henry’s Father, Henry’s Mother
Page Number: 193
Explanation and Analysis:
V-J Day (1945) Quotes

He’d wondered what his father would do to occupy his time now that the Japanese had surrendered. Then again, he knew the war would go on in his father’s mind. This time it would be the Kuomintang, the nationalists versus the communists. China’s struggle would continue, and so would his father’s.

Related Characters: Henry Lee, Henry’s Father
Page Number: 260
Explanation and Analysis: