Who is Henry's father from Native Speaker and what is their importance? Native_Speaker English & Literature Henry's father | Native Speaker

Henry's father never physicall appears in the novel and is never referred to by his given name. Having died years before, he is none-the-less, one of the novel's most important characters.

Henry judges all of his experiences and actions in relation to his father. Henry's father is a benchmark for everything Henry sees, feels, or does. In constantly judging himself this way, Henry allows us to simultaneously see how he is very like and also different from his father.

Henry's father was well educated and talented engineer in Korea. He gave up that position to sell fruits and vegetables in the United States. Henry's father never looked back, and he never considered the way in which his new job was beneath him. Instead, he worked harder than ever and prospered.... he was a success. Unfortunately, Henry's father was never as comfortable in American society as his son. He both felt and behaved like an outsider and rarely showed emotion.

Over the course of the story, Henry's opinion of his father changes. Wisdom and personal experience causes him to acquire greater admiration and affection for his father.