Marty Lee Character Analysis

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: traditional and rigid. Over the course of the novel, Marty and Henry get to know each other better. Compelled by the discovery of Japanese American families’ belongings in the Panama Hotel, Henry begins to open up to Marty about what he really experienced in childhood, and, in turn, Marty grows more comfortable asking his dad questions. They no longer have Ethel to act as a bridge between them, and they gradually (if a bit awkwardly) learn how to communicate better and share what they are truly feeling.