Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet Character Analysis

Henry Lee

The novel’s protagonist. At twelve, Henry is quiet and strong. As the only Chinese student at his all-white school growing up during World War II, Henry deals with constant bullying from students like Chaz Preston… read analysis of Henry Lee

Keiko Okabe

Henry’s best friend and the true love of his life. Keiko is a second-generation American; her parents, Mr. Okabe and Mrs. Okabe, are Japanese American. Keiko is passionate, smart, and kind. She and… read analysis of Keiko Okabe

Sheldon Thomas

A jazz musician and Henry’s good friend from childhood. As a black man, Sheldon struggles to find acceptance in the Seattle music scene, despite the fact that he is a talented saxophone player. Sheldon… read analysis of Sheldon Thomas

Henry’s Father

A Chinese nationalist, Henry’s father is virulently anti-Japanese. While he is very traditional, Henry’s father also wants his son to be as American as possible. He sends Henry to an all-white school and insists that… read analysis of Henry’s Father

Henry’s Mother

Henry’s mother is gentle and quiet, and she almost always defers to her husband, Henry’s father. However, there are some clear differences between Henry’s two parents. Henry’s mother seems much more concerned with her… read analysis of Henry’s Mother

Marty Lee

Henry and Ethel’s son, and Samantha’s fiancé. Marty is a college student studying engineering. He and Henry have a difficult time communicating, and Marty assumes that Henry is similar to his own father… read analysis of Marty Lee

Samantha

Marty’s fiancée. Samantha is white, but is skilled at cooking Chinese food, and is an exuberant and warm young woman. She wants to learn as much as she can about Marty’s family, and she… read analysis of Samantha

Chaz Preston

A school bully at Rainier Elementary. Chaz torments Henry, physically and verbally, accusing him of being secretly Japanese. Chaz is a racist, and he uses slurs about any and all non-white people. By the… read analysis of Chaz Preston

Mr. Preston

Chaz’s father and a local businessman and developer in Seattle. Mr. Preston only appears in real-time in one scene of the novel, and he is depicted as ambitious and charismatic. Following the evacuation and… read analysis of Mr. Preston

Mrs. Beatty

The manager of Rainier Elementary School’s cafeteria. Mrs. Beatty is a gruff, no-nonsense woman but she has a kind and generous heart. Mrs. Beatty stands up to Henry’s school bullies and offers him the… read analysis of Mrs. Beatty

Ethel Lee (née Chen)

Henry’s late wife and Marty’s mother. In the first present-day chapter of the novel, Ethel has been dead of lung cancer for six months. Ethel met Henry in the post office where she… read analysis of Ethel Lee (née Chen)

Oscar Holden

A jazz musician famous in Seattle, and a friend of Sheldon Thomas. Oscar Holden plays at the Black Elks Club, and he is kind to Henry and Keiko when he finds them in the… read analysis of Oscar Holden

Mr. Okabe

Keiko’s father. A former lawyer, Mr. Okabe is a first-generation American and is very devoted to his country. Elegant and well-spoken, he is passionate about protecting his family and about maintaining his personal dignity… read analysis of Mr. Okabe

Minor Characters

Mrs. Okabe

Keiko’s mother. Mrs. Okabe was an artist as a young woman and has passed on both her skill and her art supplies to her daughter.

Palmyra Pettison

The new owner of the Panama Hotel. Palmyra is heading up the hotel’s renovation, and she is also trying to reunite the belongings found in the hotel basement with their rightful owners—though few Japanese families have come forward to claim the items.

Denny Brown

A school bully and friend of Chaz Preston’s.

Will Whitworth

A school bully who once gave Henry a black eye. Will’s father is killed by Japanese forces while serving aboard the USS Marblehead.

Carl Parks

A school bully.

Dr. Luke

A Chinese doctor who makes house calls in Chinatown, and cares for Henry’s father after his strokes.

Minnie

Sheldon Thomas’s second wife, ten years his junior.

Bud

Owner of Bud’s Jazz Records. The actual Bud Long is long since dead, but the man who now runs the store still answers to the name Bud, and the reader never learns his actual name.