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Hotel On The Corner Of Bitter And Sweet Literary Analysis

Decent Essays

Rebirth is an over arching theme in the book, Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet, written by Jamie Ford. One of the main symbols of second rebirth is the ever-present Oscar Holden record. The records symbolizes not only Henry and Keiko’s relationship, but how it can be renewed. From when Henry and Keiko buy the record, to Henry finding it 40 years later, the record always has a strong significance in the book. Though not the first mention of the Oscar Holden record, the story of the vinyl started with Henry taking Keiko to the Black Elks Club. On that night Oscar Holden dedicated song to them, and it became “their song”. Later, Keiko gave Henry the record as a thank you present for their exciting night at the Black Elks Club. The …show more content…

When Henry got to her apartment, he found out that Keiko was married and widowed, just like him. Like the two halves of the record, though apart, still the same. Ultimately meeting after 40 years, Henry and Keiko picked up where they left off. They were like an old married couple, finishing each other's sentences. “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. (pp. 285) With this shared sentence, Henry and Keiko were mending their relationship, putting the parts back together to create a new bond, one that was never broken. Their old relationship could never be truly fixed, but they started a new one with the intact record. The record, and Henry and Keiko’s bond, was finally renewed in this meeting. The book, Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet, shows many themes through a simple vinyl record. One important aspect of the record’s meaning is rebirth, but it also stands for second chances, love, friendship, and of course, Henry and Keiko. In the end, Keiko and Henry are not the same people, and their relationship is a new one, one that was waiting for all the years they were apart. The Oscar Holden record holds its significance in the book from the beginning to the

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