Parker Harding

Mr. Smith

H ELA 11

15 March 2024

Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet

Jazz music is a recurring symbol in The Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie

Ford, representing themes of connection and community. Jazz is a way that feelings and

messages can be communicated without being said, and the improvisational nature of the art

flows like a conversation. In the story, jazz music symbolizes the connection that Henry and

Keiko share.

Over the course of many decades, Henry never stops thinking of Keiko, and when he gets

the chance, he is hopeful that he can restore a part of the past by finding the Oscar Holden record

dedicated to the two of them. He finds the record in the basement of the Panama Hotel, only for

it to be split in two. Sheldon, an ex-street performer and old friend of Henry's, learns that he

found the Oscar Holden record in the basement of the Panama Hotel, along with other artifacts

from the past. Sheldon tells Henry: “‘If you can put those broken pieces together, make some

music again, then that's what you should do. But I wasn't talking ‘bout the record, Henry.’”

Clearly establishing that the record is a parallel to Henry and Keiko’s relationship, clarifying that

he isn’t only referring to the record. Additionally, Henry’s son, Marty, asks why he never

reconnected with Keiko after the war. “‘I had my chance.’” He said “‘and sometimes in life,

there are no second chances. You look at what you have, not what you miss … Like that broken

record we found. Some things just can't be fixed.’” This strengthens the parallel, with Henry

himself comparing the record to his relationship with Keiko, and showing how the author uses
symbolism and parallels to communicate themes throughout the story. Although he shows a

pessimistic attitude towards finding Keiko after the war, he deep down still feels a desire to

reconnect with her, which is shown when he tries to get the record fixed.

When he went to the local record store with the intention of repairing the damaged vinyl,

the shopkeeper said to him “‘Ain't nothing you can do with a busted record, Henry.’” To which

Henry replied “They couldn't just glue it or something …” Hopeful that he can salvage this sliver

of his youth. “‘She's gone. It'd never play, never sound the same.’” The shopkeeper tells Henry

that the record can’t be saved. On the walk home, Henry passes places he passed when he was a

boy and reminisces on how they’ve changed. Henry’s desire to repair the broken jazz record

shows his lasting feelings for Keiko, all those years later, and his desire to reconnect even though

he fears it’s too soon after his wife’s death. Discovering the record is damaged beyond repair

reinforces Henry’s doubt about restoring a relationship with Keiko. The way the shopkeeper

refers to the record with personal pronouns, calling it “she” also shows the lingering fear Henry

carries that Keiko is no longer alive, and how he wants to spare himself the pain of that loss by

not digging to find the truth.

The author develops the theme through symbolism, using the Oscar Holden jazz record as

an abstract representation of the communication between Henry and Keiko, showing how

symbolism contributes to the overall messages of the story.