Title: Native Speaker Author: Chang-rae Lee
Published: April 9, 1996
Genre(s): Literary Fiction
Page Count: 349
Rating:
Summary from Goodreads:Henry Park has spent his entire life trying to become a true American—a native speaker. But even as the essence of his adopted country continues to elude him, his Korean heritage seems to drift further and further away.
Park's harsh Korean upbringing has taught him to hide his emotions, to remember everything he learns, and most of all to feel an overwhelming sense of alienation. In other words, it has shaped him as a natural spy.
But the very attributes that help him to excel in his profession put a strain on his marriage to his American wife and stand in the way of his coming to terms with his young son's death. When he is assigned to spy on a rising Korean-American politician, his very identity is tested, and he must figure out who he is amid not only the conflicts within himself but also within the ethnic and political tensions of the New York City streets.
After experiencing the gorgeous journey that is Chang-rae Lee’s latest novel, On Such a Full Sea, I was eagerly anticipating his next book. Of course, that’s silly—Lee’s writing career has spanned 20 years already, and there are plenty of backlist titles to pick up. So that’s what I did. Native Speaker is Lee’s debut novel, published in 1995, and though I didn’t quite find it as wonderful as On Such a Full Sea personally, the complexity and nuance in this book far surpasses it, leaving me once again impressed with this author’s talent.
Native Speaker touches on the American immigrant experience, and how one’s mastery of the English language affects everything. Henry Park, born in the United States to Korean parents, has spent much of his life attempting to overcome the legacy of his parents’ language. He sees perfect English as an avenue to success, and though his English is, in fact, very American, Henry feels that the only “perfect” English is that spoken by a native speaker—preferably a white native speaker. In any group setting, there is a hierarchy that establishes itself, though it usually remains unspoken. Henry feels that in the hierarchy, he comes last. People see him, an Asian man, and expect an accent. And Henry has internalized that prejudice so much that he deeply wishes he were white, spoke as a white American would, and is, in fact, very pleased when his half-white son looks more like his mother than himself.
I wish I could do Henry Park’s character justice. Lee’s treatment of his psychology is detailed and refined. Native Speaker hinges on the thoughts, feelings, and goals of Henry Park; this protagonist is everything. And the author deals with these internal issues so well. Good English as the path to acceptance, internalized racism, alienation from one’s own culture and heritage. Everything to do with Henry Park is just wonderful. He’s one of the most fully-realized characters I’ve ever come across, and the depth and authenticity in his portrayal is absolute proof of Chang-rae Lee’s enormous talent.
The way Native Speaker dismantles the stereotypical immigrant story is also excellent. Though his father builds an empire with a chain of Korean groceries, rather than becoming a doctor, lawyer, or investment banker, Henry Park becomes a spy—working to create dossiers on other Korean-Americans who might have something to hide. The central focus of this book is a rising politician in Queens, who is looking to capture the minority vote and become mayor of New York amid tense race relations. And that is another thing Lee does well with this book: race relations. This relationship between Korean immigrants and African-Americans, how they relate to each other and how white people view them. The author explore smaller things, ones I hadn’t considered about the multifaceted narrative of ethnic diversity in the United States
Beyond that, I just think the author’s prose is simply wonderful. There is a lyricism, and also a uniqueness, to his turns of phrase that are distinctly his own. Lee’s syntax is occasionally just a little bit different from what we consider “standard English”, and it works to wonderful effect. Native Speaker, with its combination of brilliant characterization and wonderful prose, checks all the boxes I look for in fiction.
