2017/08/09

Wrapping up questions/ Yujin Jeong/ ISS2017

In Native Speaker, Henry Park, who is the main character of the story, feels depressed and confused. Though he has Korean parents, they immigrated to America and he grew up there. He was born and educated in America. So he could speak English like native speaker. But actually, he was just like an immigrant under the influence of two different cultures. His parents were somewhat typical Korean parents. The father was patriarchal and the mother was not accustomed to express her own thoughts and feelings, being obedient to her husband. Henry was raised by that kind of parents, particularly by the father who compelled him not to show emotion. He got used to concealing his feelings and that is why he decided to become a spy who should be able to hide his feelings. His wife described him as "surreptitious, emotional alien and anti-romantic, stranger". Disappointed by Henry, she left him who didn't even know how to express his sorrow of son's death. On the other hand, America, where he lives, is the country that guarantees and protects the rights to express emotion. Rather, Henry would be encouraged to express his own thought and feelings. Henry was confused between two cultures belonging to neither of those cultures. I think he went through an identity crisis as a person who is in the middle of two conflicting cultures.

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