Hannibal Free Public Library Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by April 25, 2011 |
When
artifacts from Japanese families sent to
internment camps during World War II are
uncovered during renovations at a
1.
Father-son relationships are a crucial theme
in the novel. Talk about some of these
relationships and how they are shaped by
culture and time. For example, how is the
relationship between Henry and his father
different from that between Henry and Marty?
What accounts for the differences?
2.
Why doesn't Henry's father want him to speak
Cantonese at home? How does this square with
his desire to send Henry back to
3.
If you were Henry, would you be able to
forgive your father? Does Henry's father
deserve forgiveness?
4.
From the beginning of the novel, Henry wears
the "I am Chinese" button given to
him by his father. What is the significance
of this button and its message, and how has
Henry's understanding of that message changed
by the end of the novel?
5.
Why does Henry provide an inaccurate
translation when he serves as the go-between
in the business negotiations between his
father and Mr. Preston? Is he wrong to betray
his father's trust in this way?
6.
The
7.
What is the bond between Henry and Sheldon,
and how is it strengthened by jazz music?
8.
If a novel could have a soundtrack, this one
would be jazz. What is it about this
indigenous form of American music that makes
it an especially appropriate choice?
9.
Henry's mother comes from a culture in which
wives are subservient to their husbands.
Given this background, do you think she could
have done more to help Henry in his struggles
against his father? Is her loyalty to her
husband a betrayal of her son?
10.
Was the
Adapted
from: http://www.readinggroupguides.com/guides_h/hotel_corner_bitter_sweet1.asp#discuss