Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet

Multiple Choice and Long Answer questions create ideal opportunities for whole-book review, unit exam, or summative assessments.

Multiple Choice

1. How old was Henry Lee when he first visited the Panama Hotel?

A) 12 years old

B) 13 years old

C) 44 years old

D) 56 years old

2. How does Henry’s teacher, Miss Walker, respond when two boys (Chaz Preston and Denny Brown) taunt Henry for being Asian?

A) She sends Chaz and Denny to the principal’s office to be disciplined.

B) She scolds them in front of the class to show that racist taunts will not be tolerated.

C) She is oblivious to their taunts toward Henry.

D) She notices Chaz and Denny taunting Henry but does nothing to stop it.

3. Marty leaves three objects at Ethel’s gravesite when he visits in Chapter 10. Which of the following is NOT one of those objects?

A) Flowers

B) A red envelope

C) A piece of candy

D) A quarter

4. What precious possession does a Japanese photographer confess to Henry that he burned when Henry visits Nihonmachi?

A) His passport

B) His wedding photos

C) His high school diploma

D) His social security card

5. Why is Marty worried that Henry will not accept his fiancée, Samantha?

A) Her family is from Pasadena, California.

B) She is a Republican.

C) She is Caucasian.

D) She is much older than Marty.

6. Meeting under cover of darkness in a park in Nihonmachi, what favor does Keiko ask of Henry?

A) She wants his help falsifying documents so Keiko and her family can escape the country.

B) She wants him to send word to Keiko’s relatives in Japan that her family needs help.

C) She wants him to hide her family’s photos.

D) She wants him to give her a hundred dollars.

7. In Chapter 24, after buying the Oscar Holden record together, Henry and Keiko pass by the waterfront and see a line of passengers coming off a ferry. From what island are these people are being evacuated?

A) Bainbridge Island

B) Blake Island

C) Vashon Island

D) Camano Island

8. What does Sheldon play on his saxophone in the deserted streets of Japantown as a tribute to the people who were forced out of their homes?

A) A traditional Japanese melody

B) A wartime reverie

C) A Billie Holiday song

D) A haunting melody

9. What does Henry confess to Keiko when he leaves her in Camp Minidoka in Chapter 42?

A) That he has several hundred dollars saved for her in a coffee can

B) That he loves her

C) That he feels responsible for his father’s stroke

D) That he wants to flee the country and take Keiko with him

10. Henry agrees to go to China to study, per his father’s wishes—but he will only go on one condition. What is that condition?

A) That Henry’s father meet Keiko in person

B) That Henry’s father give him 100 dollars, which he needs for Keiko

C) That Henry’s father use his influence to stop the sale of the Panama Hotel

D) That Henry’s father forgive him for his relationship with Keiko

11. What major world event precedes Henry’s impulsively asking Ethel to marry him?

A) The declaration of the end of the war with Japan

B) Proclamation of Indonesian independence

C) The death of Subhas Chandra Bose

D) Joseph Stalin’s ordering the detention of Japanese prisoners of war in the Soviet Union

12. To whom does Samantha think Henry should give the sketchbooks?

A) The Panama Hotel Preservation Council

B) Marty

C) Chaz Preston

D) Their original owner

13. On his deathbed, when Sheldon tells Henry to “fix it,” what does Henry mistakenly think Sheldon is referring to?

A) Henry’s relationship with Marty

B) The broken Oscar Holden record

C) Henry’s relationship with his father

D) His broken wheelchair in the nursing home

14. In what unique way does Marty give Henry a plane ticket to New York?

A) He tucks it in the pocket of Henry’s best suit.

B) He hides it under Henry’s pillow.

C) He slips it into an empty sketchbook.

D) He puts it in a bright red envelope.

15. When Keiko answers the door to her apartment in New York City, Henry recognizes her by what physical feature?

A) A small mole above her lip

B) Her small, strong hands

C) Her clear, expressive eyes

D) A scar on her left cheek

Long Answer

Compose a response of 2-3 sentences, incorporating text details to support your response.

1. In Chapters 28-32, it becomes clearer that Henry does not share his parents’ anti-Japanese attitude. What actions does Henry take that demonstrates his defiance?

2. In Chapter 47, Henry resolves to commit himself to Ethel and “find the sweet among the bitter.” Why is this a bittersweet moment for him?