All families are unique. Displayed in the novel, Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet, are various types of family relationships. Throughout the story, relationships between parent and child are shown through Henry and his parents, Henry and his son, and Keiko and her parents. Within these families are different types of dynamics ranging from distant to closely knit. Although all families have their issues, Henry had ". . . learned long ago: perfection isn't what families are all about" (146). The relationship between Henry and his parents is greatly hindered by their language barrier. Since Henry's parents want him to "speak his American", and his parents themselves understand little English, the situation leaves Henry feeling isolated from his family because they do not communicate. Also, because of the cultural differences between Henry and his parents, Henry disagrees with his parents about various concepts such as Henry's friendship with Keiko, the language Henry speaks, and the music Henry listens to. Although Henry and his parents disagree often, his mother and father still care about Henry and what they do for him is out of love for their child. …show more content…
Their relationship is unique because of the events they have gone through. While Henry's wife, Ethel, was still alive, she acted as the glue for their family. After Ethel died, Henry and Marty grew apart. What brought the two back together was a girl named Samantha. Samantha is Marty's fiancé, and because of her, Marty is finally able to understand his father more and where he comes from. Since Samantha asks Henry so many questions about his childhood, Marty is able to discover parts of his father's life that he knew nothing about. Even though they've had rough patches, Henry and Marty are able to grow a close relationship through