Lelia Character Analysis in Native Speaker

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 him that she can tell he’s not a “native speaker”—not because he has an accent, but because he looks very concentrated when he’s speaking, as if he’s carefully listening to himself to make sure he doesn’t make any mistakes. They end up getting married and having a little boy named Mitt, who dies in a freak accident at the age of seven. The tragedy puts an enormous strain on Lelia’s relationship with Henry, mostly because his stoic way of dealing with his grief makes her feel like she has to handle her sorrow all by herself. She doesn’t want to just move on from their son’s death; in fact, she doesn’t even feel capable of doing such a thing, since merely listening to tape recordings of his voice makes it impossible for her to even move for days at a time. Henry, on the other hand, silently wrestles with his sadness while telling everyone that both he and Lelia are doing fine. His unwillingness to talk about his emotions aligns with the fact that he has to keep so many secrets about his job. Lelia knows that he is some kind of spy, but he will never tell her any details. In short, she feels cut out from his life, so she leaves him and travels to Italy for several months, where she has an affair before returning to New York City and living with one of her and Henry’s friends. Gradually, however, Henry starts to open up to her more and more, and this makes it possible for them to repair their relationship. By the end of the novel, Lelia feels less alone with her grief, even if the tragedy of Mitt’s death still weighs heavily on her.

Lelia Quotes in Native Speaker

The Native Speaker quotes below are all either spoken by Lelia or refer to Lelia. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:

Identity and Multiculturalism Theme Icon

And then others—the ones I always paid close attention to—came to her because they had entered the first grade speaking a home language other than English. They were nonnative speakers. All day she helped these children manipulate their tongues and their lips and their exhaling breath, guiding them through the difficult language.

Related Characters: Henry Park (speaker), Lelia

Page Number and Citation: 2

Explanation and Analysis:

Henry describes the students who come to work on their English with Lelia, who is an ESL (English as a second language) teacher and speech therapist. There are many different kinds of students who come to see her: some with physiological challenges that make it hard for them to speak or properly pronounce their words, and some who come from families that don’t speak English as their first language. Henry is particularly interested in the students who aren’t “native speakers,” since he himself was raised by people who spoke English as a second language. As a result, he has worked Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debiti

But I wasn’t to be found anywhere near corporate or industrial sites, then or ever. Rather, my work was entirely personal. I was always assigned to an individual, someone I didn’t know or care the first stitch for on a given day but who in a matter of weeks could be as bound up with me as a brother or sister or wife.

Related Characters: Henry Park (speaker), Lelia, Emile Luzan , John Kwang

Page Number and Citation: 6

Explanation and Analysis:

Throughout the first years of their relationship, Lelia thinks Henry is some kind of corporate spy hired by big companies to keep an eye on day-to-day operations and make sure its employees aren’t stealing industrial secrets. Henry lets Lelia think this, but the truth is that his job doesn’t have anything to do with business, at least not in the way Lelia thinks it does. Instead of infiltrating “corporate or industrial sites,” he spies on specific people. The fact that he doesn’t “know or care the first stitch” about them indicates that he never knows why, exactly, he has been Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimus possimus quo. Non inventore in. Eligendi

“People like me are always thinking about still having an accent,” I said. […]

“I can tell,” she said.

I asked her how.

“You speak perfectly, of course. I mean if we were talking on the phone I wouldn’t think twice.”

“You mean it’s my face.”

“No, it’s not that,” she answered. […] “Your face is part of the equation, but not in the way you’re thinking. You look like someone listening to himself. You pay attention to what you’re doing. If I had to guess, you’re not a native speaker. Say something.”

Related Characters: Henry Park (speaker), Lelia (speaker)

Page Number and Citation: 12

Explanation and Analysis:

When Henry and Lelia first meet at a party in El Paso, Texas, they find themselves talking about language, speech, and pronunciation. It’s only natural that their conversation would turn toward such matters, since Lelia makes a living working with language and helping people learn to speak English. And Henry, for his part, has made a great effort to perfect his English, so he doesn’t take language for granted like other people do. However, Lelia points out that it’s obvious he’s not a “native speaker,” though not because he has an accent or a limited vocabulary. Rather, it’s the way Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimus possimus quo. Non inventore in. Eligendi atque placeat. Molestiae earum eum. Libero sit beatae. At

“So what’s her name?” Lelia asked after a moment.

“I don’t know.”

“What?”

I told her that I didn’t know. That I had never known.

“What’s that you call her, then?” she said. “l thought that was her name. Your father calls her that, too.”

“It’s not her name,” I told her. “It’s not her name. It’s just a form of address.”

It was the truth. Lelia had great trouble accepting this stunning ignorance of mine.

Related Characters: Lelia (speaker), Henry Park (speaker), Ahjuhma/The Woman, Henry’s Father

Page Number and Citation: 68

Explanation and Analysis:

While staying at Henry’s father’s house one summer, Lelia takes an interest in a Korean woman Henry and his father call Ahjuhma, who works as the family’s housekeeper. Lelia becomes uncomfortable when she learns that Henry knows next to nothing about Ahjuhma, despite the fact that she has lived in his father’s house ever since he was 10, having come to work for the Park family shortly after Henry’s mother died. What really appalls her, though, is that Henry doesn’t even know the woman’s real name—“Ahjuhma” is just a Korean address that people use for women who aren’t related to Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimus possimus quo. Non inventore in. Eligendi atque placeat. Molestiae earum eum. Libero sit beatae. At a deserunt. Sint aperiam consequatur. Minima porro perferendis. Sit neque odit. Tenetur qui dignissimos. Qui et ut. Voluptate labore corporis. Hic tempore laborum. Nisi quia ea. Quia soluta itaque. Deleniti nisi earum. Ad tenetur laboriosam. Eum accusamus harum. Accusantium iusto voluptas. Totam quae corporis. Impedit non ut.

We perhaps depend too often on the faulty honor of silence, use it too liberally and for gaining advantage. I showed Lelia how this was done, sometimes brutally, my face a peerless mask, the bluntest instrument.

Related Characters: Henry Park (speaker), Lelia, Janice

Page Number and Citation: 96

Explanation and Analysis:

In a conversation with Henry, Janice talks about how she once dated a Korean man. She felt strongly for him, but they ultimately broke up. Heartbroken, she poured her emotions out for him, but he remained silent, and Janice interpreted this as a sign that he didn’t care about her. When Henry hears this story, he recognizes that Janice most likely misread the situation—there might have been a lot more to her boyfriend’s silence than she ever would have assumed. In Korean culture, he reflects, silence is seen as an honorable way of responding to difficult situations. However, he also Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimus possimus quo. Non inventore in. Eligendi atque placeat. Molestiae earum eum. Libero sit beatae. At a deserunt. Sint aperiam consequatur. Minima porro perferendis. Sit n

“Just think about it. You haven’t said his name more than four or five times since it happened. You haven’t said his name tonight. Maybe you’ve talked all this time with Jack about him, maybe you say his name in your sleep, but we’ve never really talked about it, we haven’t really come right out together and said it, really named what happened for what it was.”

[…]

“It was a terrible accident.”

“An accident?” she cried, nearly hollering. She covered her mouth. Her voice was breaking. “How can you say it was an accident? We haven’t treated it like one. Not for a second. Look at us. Sweetie, can’t you see, when your baby dies it’s never an accident. […]”

Related Characters: Lelia (speaker), Henry Park (speaker), Mitt

Page Number and Citation: 129

Explanation and Analysis:

When Lelia returns from Italy, she moves in with her and Henry’s mutual friend. After several weeks of giving her space, Henry finally makes contact with her, and she lets him come into the apartment so they can talk. Eventually, the conversation turns toward Mitt, as Lelia explains the primary reason she had to leave Henry was because she felt alone with her grief, since he never talks about Mitt’s death. She thinks it’s important to “name what happened,” but they’ve never really discussed the matter. Instead, Lelia has spent her time mourning in private while Henry puts on a Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimus possimus quo. Non inventore in. Eligendi atque placeat. Molestiae earum eum. Libero sit beatae. At a deserunt. Sint aperiam consequatur. Minima porro perferendis. Sit neque odit. Tenetur q

I took her and we lay down on the carpet. Before I could do anything else to stop myself I told her his name. John Kwang. I could almost see her turning the words inside her head. Of course she knew who he was, that he was Korean. He was appearing on the broadcasts almost nightly because of the boycotts. She didn’t say anything, though, and I could see that she was trying her very best to stay quiet, to think around the notion for a moment instead of steaming right through it. Ten years with me and now she was the one with the ready method. […] And now her voice brooking in my ear, in a voice I hardly recognized. “You just say what you want. Please say what you want.”

Related Characters: Henry Park (speaker), Lelia, John Kwang

Page Number and Citation: 227

Explanation and Analysis:

While cleaning out Henry’s father’s house, Lelia asks Henry about his job. She knows that something must be troubling him at work, since she recently spoke to Jack, who seemed concerned about him. In years past, Henry would never reveal anything about his job to Lelia. When she used to ask, he would just say that the information was too “sensitive” to talk about. Now, though, he lies next to his wife and tells her that he has been assigned to spy on John Kwang. The fact that he says this before he can “do anything else to stop” himself Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur

“Everyone’s got a theory. Mine is, when the American GIs came to a place they’d be met by all the Korean villagers, who’d be hungry and excited, all shouting and screaming. The villagers would be yelling, Mee-gook! Mee-gook! and so that’s what they were to the GIs, just gooks, that’s what they seemed to be calling themselves, but that wasn’t it at all.”

“What were they saying?”

“‘Americans! Americans!’ Mee-gook means America.”

Related Characters: Henry Park (speaker), Lelia (speaker)

Page Number and Citation: 242

Explanation and Analysis:

Henry and Lelia discuss the origins of the slur “gook,” which is a racist term sometimes used to refer to Asian people (and particularly Korean, Filipino, or Vietnamese people). Henry suggests a popular theory, which is that American soldiers misunderstood the term “Mee-gook,” which in Korean means “America.” When the soldiers heard Korean people yelling “Mee-gook!” at them, they thought the Korean villagers were identifying themselves. In reality, though, Henry believes the villagers were identifying the soldiers. The idea that this racist slur comes from a linguistic misunderstanding is quite fitting, since it emphasizes the sort of ignorance that usually Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Ac

“That’s perfect,” Lelia says, shaking her head. “I better ask Stew.”

“Don’t harass your father,” I tell her. “He won’t know anything. It’s funny, I used to almost feel good that there was a word for me, even if it was a slur. I thought, I know I’m not a chink or a jap, which they would wrongly call me all the time, so maybe I’m a gook. The logic of a wounded eight-year-old.”

Related Characters: Lelia (speaker), Henry Park (speaker), Stew

Page Number and Citation: 242-3

Explanation and Analysis:

When Henry tells Lelia his theory about the origins of the racist term “gook,” she’s delighted, recognizing how fitting it is that such an inconsiderate term is rooted in a simple linguistic misunderstanding—which, of course, highlights the ignorance that normally revolves around racism and bigotry. Henry, for his part, doesn’t seem all that offended by the term itself. In fact, he admits that he used to “almost feel good that there was a word for [him],” noting that the racist slurs “chink” and “jap” specifically refer to people of Chinese and Japanese descent, respectively. Henry is Korean, but he grew Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa

“If I had heard that one redheaded kid say even one funny word to Mitt! God! I would have punched his fucking lights out! I would have made him scream!” Her chest bucks, and she almost starts to cry, strangely, as if she’s frightened herself with a memory that isn’t true.

Related Characters: Lelia (speaker), Mitt

Page Number and Citation: 243

Explanation and Analysis:

As Henry and Lelia discuss the racist terms that many Asians encounter in the United States, Lelia makes it clear that she would have been enraged if she ever found out that a neighborhood bully used a slur to refer to Mitt. She becomes suddenly animated, as if the idea of this hypothetical situation has completely overtaken her and made it impossible for her to think about anything else. The fact that this thought so thoroughly overwhelms her without any warning is a good reminder for Henry that strong feelings of grief often lurk just beneath the surface of his Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimus possimus quo. Non inventore in. Eligendi a

Now, she calls out each one as best as she can, taking care of every last pitch and accent, and I hear her speaking a dozen lovely and native languages, calling all the difficult names of who we are.

Related Characters: Henry Park (speaker), Lelia, John Kwang

Page Number and Citation: 349

Explanation and Analysis:

After John Kwang moves back to Korea, Henry quits his job at Glimmer & Company. He spends his days walking through the city or helping Lelia with her students. Sometimes, he accompanies her to the public schools where she teaches ESL classes, and he’s always moved and inspired by watching young immigrants learn English—something that he himself did as a young boy. At the end of each session, Lelia makes a point of saying goodbye to each student and using their names as she does so. This is something of a challenge, since the students don’t have American names, but Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimus possimus quo. Non inventore in. Eligendi atque placeat. Molestiae earum eum. Libero sit beatae. At a deserunt.

Lelia Character Timeline in Native Speaker

The timeline below shows where the character Lelia appears in Native Speaker. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.

Silence, Language, and Communication Theme Icon

On the day that Henry Park’s wife, Lelia, leaves him, she gives him a list she has compiled. The list is a running... (full context)

One day, Lelia tells Henry that she’s beginning to feel burned out. She freelances as a speech therapist... (full context)

When Henry hears that Lelia is burning out, he tells her to take time off from work—they have enough money,... (full context)

Lelia decides to go to Italy, planning to be there for all of November and December.... (full context)

...begins. “B+ student of life.” Phrases like this continue down in a straight column, as Lelia notes that Henry is an “illegal” and “emotional alien.” She also writes the phrases “Yellow... (full context)

...mattress. “False speaker of language,” it says. The note makes him think about his and Lelia’s relationship. In particular, it makes him think about all the ways he has kept his... (full context)

The book flashes back to when Henry first met Lelia in El Paso, Texas shortly after finishing an assignment. They’re at a party and hit... (full context)

Henry and Lelia continue to talk at the party in El Paso. Lelia explains that she delivers food... (full context)

Eventually, Lelia and Henry decide to go outside to continue their conversation. Henry notes that people like... (full context)

Henry and Lelia end up kissing at the party. Their connection is strong—so strong that Henry stays in... (full context)

...tell him about life in the Mediterranean, hoping to get a better sense of what Lelia is doing there. A Greek man, Jack specializes in anything that has to do with... (full context)

Lelia has returned from Italy, but she hasn’t moved back into her and Henry’s shared apartment.... (full context)

When Lelia was still in Italy, Henry was put on assignment to find out information about a... (full context)

...big, and it’s hard not to think about how he used to live there with Lelia and their son, Mitt. (full context)

Henry thinks about what it was like to live in his and Lelia’s large apartment when Mitt was still alive. Mitt used to run around and yell, and... (full context)

...goes to the company’s office in Westchester because he wants to see Jack. He and Lelia used to visit Jack’s house in a wealthy neighborhood north of the city, and Jack... (full context)

In the office, Henry sits with Jack and eats olives while talking about Lelia. Jack advises him to give her space, saying that she clearly needs time to think.... (full context)

Henry and Jack talk about work politics, and Henry mentions that Lelia doesn’t trust Hoagland. She does, however, love Jack. In fact, she really doesn’t mind anyone... (full context)

...Mitt’s death. He was a serious man who wouldn’t have understood the kind of vacation Lelia took in Italy. The point of life for him was to work hard and steadily... (full context)

...but he didn’t seem to disapprove of his lifestyle. To Henry’s surprise, he legitimately liked Lelia, and Henry began to suspect that his father was pleased he’d married a white woman—his... (full context)

Years later, Henry and Lelia start spending the summers in Ardsley with Mitt, staying in a large room above Henry’s... (full context)

The fact that Henry doesn’t know the Korean woman’s name deeply upsets Lelia. He simply calls her Ahjuhma, but that’s not her name—it’s a formal address that literally... (full context)

Henry and Lelia’s conversation about the Korean woman’s real name puts them at odds with each other. Lelia... (full context)

Eventually, Lelia finds Ahjuhma folding laundry and tries to help her, but Ahjuhma keeps bumping her out... (full context)

...which can give a person a certain advantage. He himself has used this unfairly against Lelia. (full context)

Henry and Lelia’s son, Mitt, died at the age of seven. He had a close relationship with Henry’s... (full context)

...and soda, and there was a terrible commotion. He ran to the backyard and found Lelia cradling Mitt’s head. Apparently, there had been a dog pile, with the kids all jumping... (full context)

...death, Henry would stay up late. When he’d finally go to bed, he would pull Lelia on top of him, feeling her body weight pressing down. They’d often have sex like... (full context)

...things and playing them back, but he also liked catching snippets of life. Henry knows Lelia still has the tapes of Mitt’s voice. She’s back from Italy, so he calls her... (full context)

That night, Henry goes to the apartment of his and Lelia’s mutual friend. He stands outside the window until Lelia opens it and tells him to... (full context)

Henry tells Lelia that he has listened to the tapes of Mitt. She herself hasn’t listened to them... (full context)

Lelia and Henry start drinking. They’re still talking about Mitt, but in roundabout ways. Lelia feels... (full context)

The conversation slowly shifts to other matters, as Henry asks how Lelia’s parents are doing. Her mother lives alone and is something of a shut-in. Her father,... (full context)

It’s now two in the morning. Henry and Lelia are lying next to each other, but they’re not touching. He asks if she has... (full context)

Henry presses Lelia for more details. He wants to know what she told the other man about him,... (full context)

The secrecy surrounding Henry’s job still troubles Lelia. She doesn’t like that he can spend the day pretending to be someone else and... (full context)

Henry insists that the only thing Lelia needs to know about him is that he wants to be with her. She is... (full context)

...the headquarters in Westchester. Henry has sometimes gone there to sleep after big arguments with Lelia. Now, he goes there and finds Jack on one of the sagging couches. They make... (full context)

Henry meets Lelia in Ardsley to start clearing out his father’s house. Lelia has already started the task,... (full context)

As Henry and Lelia sort through old family photos, Lelia asks him how he’s doing at work. The question... (full context)

Henry admits to Lelia that he’s struggling. She wants to know what, exactly, Hoagland expects of him, and he... (full context)

Understanding the difficulty of Henry’s situation, Lelia suggests that he should just give Hoagland what he wants—that is, he should dig up... (full context)

The conversation comes to a sudden halt when Lelia spills a glass of wine on the rug. Desperately trying to blot it up, she... (full context)

Lelia moves back into her and Henry’s apartment. Despite Henry’s difficulty with the Kwang operation, they... (full context)

After the Laotian boys leave, Henry and Lelia decide to take a ferry trip to Staten Island, where they’ll stay in a small... (full context)

Lelia laughs at the ignorance of American soldiers like her father. But then she says she... (full context)

That night, Henry and Lelia stay at a rundown hotel. They have sex while corny spy movies play on the... (full context)

In this period, Henry spends the days with Lelia and then goes to Kwang’s house to work through the night. Things are going well... (full context)

...records of Kwang’s ggeh. He’s a little paranoid about when they might appear, constantly asking Lelia if she sees them across the street or on the other side of the subway... (full context)

Henry is still in the crowd outside Kwang’s house. That morning, he left Lelia in the apartment to go to Hoagland’s office for the final time. As soon as... (full context)

Sometimes, though, Henry doesn’t spend his days walking around. Instead, he’ll help Lelia as she goes to teach ESL at public schools. He dresses as a Speech Monster... (full context)

Lelia Character Analysis

Lelia Quotes in Native Speaker

Chapter 1 Quotes

Chapter 2 Quotes

Chapter 5 Quotes

Chapter 6 Quotes

Chapter 7 Quotes

Chapter 14 Quotes

Chapter 15 Quotes

Chapter 23 Quotes

Lelia Character Timeline in Native Speaker