Manesis Naylor 1

Maia Manesis Naylor

Junior Honors Literature

Mr. Smith

15 March 2024

Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet Essay

“They stood there, smiling at each other, like they had done all those years ago, standing

on either side of that fence”( Ford 285). Throughout the novel, The Hotel on the Corner of Bitter

and Sweet, “fences” have constantly been present in characters’ relationships. Consequently, as

distance finds its way between Henry and Keiko and causes their relationship to shift, patterns in

their relationship become more apparent. Barriers, whether literal or metaphorical, that are

imposed by others lead to a lack of communication, however, when we confront these limitations

we can finally heal.

Figures of authority in the novel dictate to what extent Henry can communicate, and as a

result, perpetuate his feelings of lonesomeness during the 1940s. Resulting from World War II

and its effects on society, many different groups of people had separation forced upon them. As

the government proceeded with the aggressive decision of Japanese incarceration, the tension in

downtown Seattle persisted. As the precedent of Japanese inferiority was set by those holding

power, more barriers became apparent to withhold this belief. Dedicated barriers had a profound

effect on so many different areas of life. Henry, a young teenager during this period, struggled

immensely with the separation between races. Although Henry was originally able to foster an

amazing relationship with Keiko, a Japanese girl, the complexity of society, “A barbed wire

fence kept them apart and a machine gun tower kept watch from above”(182). While Keiko

endured the awful reality of Japanese incarceration camps, many obstacles from the present
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barriers created a void in their communication. With the physical barriers of distance and

separation after the camps had been put in place, communication between Henry and Keiko was

more or less reduced to written letters. The letters they exchanged were a barrier in themselves

because of both their unreliability and delayed gratification. “It’d been three weeks now, and no

letter from Keiko”(242) as a result of the distance barrier present in their lives, communication

occurred less and less, a tribulation experience for Henry, who only found confidence in Keiko.

The forceful separation of society and the toll it took on Henry and Keiko's relationship intensely

impacted Henry. Being more alone than ever, Henry struggled mentally during the era of such

powerful government decisions.

As society continued to shift around Henry and Keiko's relationship, their communication

and availability for interactions kept deteriorating, fully drawing them apart from one another.

Through the time Henry and Keiko tried to maintain their relationship, the hardships on both

sides eventually led them to abandon their hopes of reconnecting. Keiko was experiencing the

harsh realities of inequality and for a while attempted to maintain a connection to Henry through

writing, however as time passed, “the letter closed with,’I won't write you again, I don't want to

bother you. Maybe your father is right. Keiko’”(Ford 212). Keiko mentioned the word bother,

conveying a sense that they both needed to move on, a sense that Henry also developed as time

and barriers kept pulling them apart. The impact of the condition of society around the two

continued to contribute to their lack of communication because it became too difficult and

painful to try to find a way around the barriers already set in stone. Although ultimately the

barriers present in their society brought their communication to a halt, their feelings for each

other weren't brought to a halt. During Henry's adult life, his son brings to his attention the

question of “Was it really about the record, or were you looking for memories of Keiko, of your
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long-lost friend?”(Ford 146). Throughout the rest of Henry's life, he seemed to be stuck on

anything that reminded him of Keiko, therefore was fixated on finding any belongings that

resonated with their relationship. The barriers present in their society eventually drove them to

stop communicating, leaving feelings of longing and trauma in their wake.

After extensively withholding regretful feelings, confrontation brings healing relief for

the effects of the barriers in history, therefore finally filling the aching gap that a lack of

communication formed. Many of the emotions Henry experienced when first separated from

Keiko, evolved throughout his life, causing him to carry sadness and trauma with every thought.

The instances that Henry was able to visit Keiko when she was experiencing forced removal

provided temporary relief, and as Keiko “stood on the other side of the fence, her smiling

face…framed by cold metal and sharp wire… Henry smiled and exhaled slowly”(Ford 162).

Both characters struggled deeply after their relationship was affected by societal barriers, but

found ease and joy in the brief moments that they got to reconnect. The fence present seemed to

disappear as Henry got to finally see his only friend, although when the distance between the two

continued to increase, the feelings of longing took a painful turn into intense sadness. Henry's

adult relationship and actions get altered by his state of mind that had been affected by past

feelings from his teenage years, although, as Henry finally gets the chance to reconnect with

Keiko, these feelings finally begin to dissipate. When arriving in New York, he is finally able to

heal, with the intention of “finding and fixing a broken heart”(Ford 283). At last, after struggling

to endure the long distance between them and once no barriers separated Henry and Keiko from

reconnecting, “Henry felt the warmth from the inside windows shining through”(Ford 283) as he

took the first steps to heal from all that was left of with Keiko. Instantly, the relief that floods

Henry is represented by the comfort of the warmth that comes from inside Keiko’s apartment,
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and from finally seeing Keiko, with “The same eyes that had looked inside him all those years.

Hopeful eyes”(Ford 284). The instantaneous similarity Henry felt after confrontation with the

one person he could not fully let go of, was reflected immediately by Keiko, signaling that the

profound impact of their separation took a toll on her as well. Adjacent to Henry's experience,

their drifting apart hadn't fully stripped them of their feelings for each other as Keiko confesses

how “‘I’d… almost given up on you’”(Ford 284). Almost given up, not fully, as reflected in

every action Henry took as an adult, whether it be searching for the record or holding on to any

lasting memories. The comfort found in reuniting is enough to heal from past trauma and “In his

heart music began to play…His and Keiko’s song”(Ford 284). Henry was finally to feel comfort

and contentment, as he was transported back to his teenage years and able to relive the joys he

and Kieko shared, one being their song. Finally, as all of the sadness they had been holding was

let go, “They stood there, smiling at each other, like they had done all those years ago, standing

on either side of that fence. ‘Oai deki te…’ She paused. ‘Ureshii desu,’ Henry said, softly”(Ford

285). Ending with the Japanese phrase that had belonged to Henry for Keiko, fully exhibits the

relief that has passed between the two and now, being able to share their connection, free of any

barriers, is the final piece to healing their once broken communication.

Barriers that played an impactful role in Henry and Keiko’s lives, went on to brutally

impact their relationship and this diminishment of their communication set a heavy weight on

both characters. Nevertheless, the final confrontation without limitations, fully heals the trauma

that came with the loss of each other. The state of society during WW2 affected so many people

in the workforce, and their family life, but most saddening for Henry was how Japanese

Incarceration took hold of his truest friend. The fence, letters, and distance, that caused

communication difficulties, majorly affected the plot and caused Henry to take the longest path
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back to Keiko, and find relief so many years later, once reunited in each other's meaningful

presence.
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Works Cited

Ford, Jamie. Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet: A Novel. Ballantine Books, 2019.