Native Speaker Character Analysis

Henry Park

Henry is a Korean American man living in New York City. The novel’s narrator, he works as a spy for Glimmer & Company, a company that gathers information about people for anonymous clients. Most of… read analysis of Henry Park

Lelia

Lelia is Henry’s wife. Originally from Massachusetts, she works as a speech specialist who helps people learn English and improve their pronunciation. When she first meets Henry at a party in Texas, she tells… read analysis of Lelia

Henry’s Father

Henry’s father was a Korean immigrant who came to the United States with his wife and son (Henry), settling in New York City and opening a grocery store. A disciplined man of few words… read analysis of Henry’s Father

John Kwang

John Kwang is a Korean American city councilman in New York City. Henry is assigned to infiltrate his political organization and gather whatever information he can about Kwang, but he ends up identifying with the… read analysis of John Kwang

Eduardo

Eduardo is a young Latino man who works for John Kwang. When Henry first meets him, he’s told that Eduardo is a college student studying political science and helping Kwang’s organization when he’s not… read analysis of Eduardo

Jack

Jack is a Greek immigrant who works alongside Henry at Glimmer & Company. He serves as something of a mentor for Henry, since he’s been a spy for a very long time and is thus… read analysis of Jack

Dennis Hoagland

Dennis Hoagland is Henry’s boss at Glimmer & Company. He’s a control freak who claims to care about his employees’ well-being but, in reality, only cares about them insofar as they’re able to successfully… read analysis of Dennis Hoagland

Emile Luzan

Emile Luzan is a Filipino immigrant living in New York City and practicing as a therapist. Because he supports a controversial cause in the Philippines, Glimmer & Company has been hired to scrounge up information… read analysis of Emile Luzan

Ahjuhma/The Woman

Ahjuhma is a young Korean woman who moves to the United States when Henry’s father hires her to work as a housekeeper in the wake of Henry’s mother’s death. Henry doesn’t know much about… read analysis of Ahjuhma/The Woman

Sherrie Chin-Watt

Sherrie Chin-Watt is a Chinese American woman who runs PR for John Kwang’s political organization. She’s married to a successful businessman, but he’s seemingly always away on business, and she appears to have devoted… read analysis of Sherrie Chin-Watt

Janice

Janice is a young white woman who works as John Kwang’s schedule manager. She also handles responsibilities like scouting out the best place for Kwang to make public appearances. She works closely with Eduardo… read analysis of Janice

Mayor De Roos

Mayor De Roos is the mayor of New York City and one of John Kwang’s political opponents. De Roos is actually a Democrat just like Kwang, and he even helped the councilman at the… read analysis of Mayor De Roos

Pete

Pete is one of Henry’s coworkers at Glimmer & Company. At the end of his time with John Kwang, Henry gives Pete and their other coworker, Grace, a list of everyone who… read analysis of Pete

Mitt

Mitt was Henry and Lelia’s son, who died in a tragic accident at a birthday party when he was seven years old. His death puts an enormous strain on Henry and Lelia’s relationship, and… read analysis of Mitt

Henry’s Mother

Henry’s mother was a Korean woman who immigrated to the United States with Henry’s father. She died when Henry was just 11 years old, and he didn’t have time to mourn her death: his… read analysis of Henry’s Mother

Minor Characters

Grace

Grace is one of Henry’s coworkers at Glimmer & Company. Along with Pete, she collects a list from Henry that names everyone who has contributed to Kwang’s “money club”—a list that leads to the mass deportation of many undocumented immigrants.

Stew

Stew is Lelia’s father, a successful businessman who has racist ideas about Asian people, though he assures Henry that he likes him.

Native Speaker

Chang-rae Lee

Native Speaker Characters