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영어

Chang-rae Lee’s first novel Native Speaker has been acclaimed as a novel exploring immigrant assimilation and acculturation. As a way of breaking away from such a tradition and recognizing the manifold meanings laden in Lee’s language, this paper investigates Henry’s troubles as resulting from his relationship with his wife, which has gone awry since their son’s death. In this sense, Henry’s narrative can be construed as a response to ‘Lelia’s list,’ which Lelia hands to Henry as a token of separation with her complaints and ideas of Henry written on it. Henry unfolds his innermost feelings and sentiments as a way of explaining who he is and why things are the way they are with him. Filling the gap between Lelia’s list and who Henry really is, Henry’s monologue spills out and spells out the details of his experiences as a son of immigrant family, his job as a spy, his inability to properly mourn the death of his son, and his love for Lelia. By the end of the novel, Henry does achieve his goal of regaining Lelia’s heart and trust. They are together content with each other, liberated from the ‘list’ and its ominous influence.