Seb Petersen

Mr Smith

3/15/24

F block

Lack of communication

Imagine the confusion and feeling of loss you would embrace if your father or mother

never communicated with you. How would you know how to nurture a relationship of your own?

In this book Henry embarks on a pursuit of connection with a girl he meets named Keiko, during

this time many Japanese Americans are being segregated, and by the executive order, exiled

from society. The lack of communication seen in “Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet”

illustrates confusion in Henry’s life, trauma and loss through ambiguous language that impacts

the characters views and values, which then reflects onto society.

The intentional ambiguity of Executive order 9066 has a lasting effect of confusion that

stays in Henry’s head throughout parts of the story, causing him loss. Henry pauses in stride

“There was the word again. Evacuated. Even when his mother said it in Cantonese, it didn’t

make sense. Evacuated from what? Keiko had been taken from him.”-(Ford 148). Here Henry is

seen in frustration of losing his friend to the camps. He is still confused as to where or what is

happening to the Japanese people due to the lack of communication provided in the executive

order. The order uses ambiguous phrases like “the right of any person to enter, remain in, or

leave shall be subject to whatever restrictions the Secretary of War may impose”-(Ford 69) that

do not give enough information to Henry on what is going on, but enough to keep him worried

and confused. This writing tactic left confusion for a lot of Americans during this time, and

Henry’s story of his connection with Keiko is a small example of loss through lack of

communication, which in this case was indirect between Keiko and Henry. Their relationship had

no impact on their loss, it was the outside force of the executive order that broke them apart.

The value of relationships is impacted here.

 Henry’s father’s lack of communication with Henry resulted in trauma pain that is shown

through his anxiety and timidness when he forms a connection with Keiko. Henry sits eating

breakfast “‘They fix the stairs, hah? The ones you fell down?’ Again, Henry nodded,

acknowledging his father’s Cantonese, and kept eating his thick breakfast soup”-(Ford 44)

giving no verbal reaction illustrating his disengagement from his father’s words. Henry always

listened “but he never talked back. In fact, Henry rarely talked at all, except in English to

acknowledge his advancing skills.”-(Ford 44) Which further shows his father’s lack of

communication, and proves the inference made based off of his non-verbal response. It was so

minimal, that Henry never bothered much to respond. Days and days, years and years of this

silence in communication took a toll on Henry’s communication skills and built trauma in his

head. This is seen when he first meets Keiko “She smiled. ‘I’m Japanese. But American

first.’’Did your parents teach you to say that?’ He bit his words as they came out. Afraid of

hurting her feelings”-(Ford 24) his worry of hurting her feelings shows that from his lack of

communication with his father, he was not confident enough in himself to communicate to

someone new that he found interest in. This trauma factor can really affect a relationship, and

communication bridges this gap. When reflecting, it's clear that having a parental figure to

communicate with is essential for a child to have good relationships in their lives.

Henry grows up experiencing loss, and confusion in his relationships. This aspect of his

life is illustrated by his relationship with Keiko and his father, along with\\\\ trauma and loss

through ambiguous language that impacts the characters views and values, which then reflects

onto society in the book “Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet” by Jamie Ford.
 Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet
Essay Rubric
Skill N Foundational Proficient Advanced
Y

Thesis Establishes References the Effectively

a basic prompt makes a claim
claim Makes a claim incorporating a
about the text complex idea;
Somewhat contrast, cause
developed and effect, etc.
through the essay Developed
throughout the
essay

Claims Makes a Previous (and) Previous (and)

statement Somewhat Considers the
that requires considers the thesis of the
evidence to thesis paper
support Effective use of
transition
words/phrases

Evidence Some Includes multiple Includes a

evidence pieces of variety of
relates to evidence/ specific,
the thesis examples that meaningful, and
clearly relate to well-chosen
the thesis and evidence that
individual claims relates to the
Includes multiple thesis
pieces of
evidence in each
body paragraph

Analysis Somewhat Explains how Explains

explains evidence well-selected
how supports topic points of
evidence sentence of comparison
supports individual among
topic paragraphs evidence and
sentence Explains how their connection
and thesis evidence to the thesis
supports the Effective use of
thesis of the close-reads
essay
Some indication
of close-reads +
 weaving quotes

MLA Format Some elements missing No errors in MLA format

or some errors in MLA
format

Conventions Shows Most quotes are All quotes are

evidence of correctly correctly
basic integrated integrated
proofreadin Follows essay Shows evidence
g organization of careful
Shows evidence proofreading
of proofreading

Fluency Simple use Demonstrates Strong use of of

of use of grade level vocabulary,
vocabulary vocabulary, diction,
Simple diction, sentence sentence
sentence structures structures
structures Accurate use of
text specific
vocabulary