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Native Speaker (novel)

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Country
  
United States

Media type
  
Print (paperback)

OCLC
  
38863471

Author
  
Chang-Rae Lee

Original language
  
English

3.7/5
Goodreads

Publication date
  
1995

ISBN
  
978-1573225311

Originally published
  
1995

Genre
  
Novel

Publisher
  
Berkley Books

Native Speaker (novel) t3gstaticcomimagesqtbnANd9GcT1JKa7rneAbb5q5

Pages
  
368 pp (first edition, paperback)

Awards
  
Hemingway Foundation/PEN Award, American Book Awards

Similar
  
Chang-Rae Lee books, Hemingway Foundation/PEN Award winners, Novels

Native Speaker (1995) is Chang-Rae Lee’s first novel. In Native Speaker, he creates a man named Henry Park who tries to assimilate into American society.

Contents

Plot

The plot in Native Speaker is a non-linear plot that goes from Henry's childhood, and back to his adulthood many times.

Characters

  • Henry Park: An industrial spy who is assigned to be on John Kwang's pre-campaign team. His Korean name is Byong-ho.
  • Lelia Park: Henry's estranged wife who is a speech therapist from a wealthy, Scottish-American East Coast family. She met Henry at a party during one of his initial assignments.
  • Mitt Park : Henry and Lelia's son who died at the age of seven.
  • John Kwang: A Korean-American politician running for Mayor of New York who becomes a surrogate father to Henry.
  • Emile Luzan: A Filipino-American therapist whom Henry spied on but ended up befriending. He helped Henry recover from Mitt's death.
  • Sherrie Chin-Watt: John Kwang's PR assistant. Married to an American banker, but having an affair with Kwang.
  • Mr Park: Henry's father, a strict man who was once an industrial engineer in Korea.
  • Mrs Park: Henry's mother who died from cancer when Henry was ten.
  • Dennis Hoagland: Henry's boss.
  • Maid (Ahjumah): A young Korean woman who took care of Henry as a child.
  • May: John's wife whom he met when she came from Korea.
  • Sophie: Jack's Italian-American wife.
  • Jack: Henry's best friend and coworker who is a Greek-American.
  • Janice Pawlowsky: Henry's manager of John Kwang.
  • Eduardo Fermin: A Latino man who idolizes John Kwang. He dies during a fire at Kwang's campaign headquarters. He's also a spy for Hoagland's spy firm, but John Kwang thinks he works for mayor De La Roos's reelection campaign.
  • Pete Ichibata: A Japanese co-worker known for crude jokes and excessive drinking.
  • John Kwang Jr: John's and May's son and Peter's brother troubled with school who reminded Henry of his son Mitt
  • Peter Kwang: John Jr's brother and Son of John and May
  • Lelia's parents: Henry's parents in laws and Mitt's grandparents

    • Major themes

    Henry is the quintessential Korean-American, as much of his Korean heritage resonates through his voice, personality, and beliefs. His Korean upbringing still shows up in his adult life. Like many American immigrants trying to find an identity in a foreign land, Henry is an "...emotional alien...stranger [and] follower..." who constantly feels isolated from the country in which he lives and also the country from which he came. Even though he is almost completely Americanized, Henry Park has trouble adapting to the US. There are many challenges that come with fitting into American life because of the difference in culture, beliefs, behavior; and because of the desire to still hold on to one’s heritage.

    Awards and nominations

  • PEN/Hemingway Award for Best First Novel
  • Barnes & Noble Discover Great New Writers Award
  • American Book Award
  • QPB New Visions Award
  • Oregon Book Award
  • ALA Notable Book

    • References

    Native Speaker (novel) Wikipedia
    (Text) CC BY-SA