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The Oscar Holden Record
Starfire lilies, which Henry buys for his mother every week, grows with Ethel in their garden, and eventually uses to decorated Ethel’s grave, symbolize the beauty of imperfect love. Henry’s mother cares for her son, but she doesn’t always do what’s best for him; more often than not, she sides with Henry’s father, who bullies his son into living the life he wants him to have. Henry’s love for Ethel parallels his mother’s love for him. Henry can’t love Ethel perfectly; ultimately, his heart belongs to Keiko, his soulmate. But Henry still loves Ethel—his feelings for her aren’t fake or forced. Like the starfire lily, these imperfect kinds of love are still beautiful, and they manage to bloom despite difficult circumstances.
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Starfire Lilies Symbol Timeline in Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet
The timeline below shows where the symbol Starfire Lilies appears in Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
I Am Chinese (1942)
...always gives Henry a nickel from his music profits, which Henry uses to buy a starfire lily for his mother once a week.
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Lake View (1986)
...goodbye to Marty, and then heads to the cemetery where Ethel is buried. He lays starfire lilies , which he and Ethel used to grow in their garden, on Ethel’s grave. He...
(full context)
Empty Streets (1942)
...off his button and puts it in his pocket, stopping to buy his mother a starfire lily on his way home.
(full context)
Meeting at the Panama (1945)
...who was never going to come,” she says. She also hands Henry a bouquet of starfire lilies , saying she’s seen him buying them at the market. “I guess I figured they...
(full context)
