Native Speaker - As A Writer

One decision Chang-Rae Lee makes in the chapters we read is on page 137. Henry talks about how his father would have admired John Kwang, "That kind of admiration between men was either effeminate or disrespectful, and then a little shameful, if the object was a younger man." Here, we see multiple sides to Henry's father. On one hand, we see that the father does have a more "human" side to him. Lee uses the possible admiration of Kwang to emphasis how Henry's father constantly critiqued people. This excerpt also gives the reader a sense of the effect of culture on Henry's father. 

The second decision Lee makes is on page 138. Lee shows finally begins to reveal John Kwang's personality, "This proved what appeared to me to be his great talent: his seeming resistance to dilution." Here, Henry is talking about Kwang's way of making people feel significant and important to him. Finally, the reader is able to see John Kwang as a person rather than just a name of a man who Henry is spying on. This decision also allows the reader to see Henry's interest in John Kwang.

The third decision Lee makes is by letting the reader into Kwang's family life. Henry says that he would like to say that Kwang was a family man, "But then I would be speaking only half of the truth, and the most accessible half at that, the part that had the least to do with him." (146) Lee uses Henry to almost sympathize with Kwang, to try and defend Kwang for not truly being a family man. This emphasizes Henry's growing interest in Kwang and also shows that Henry is possibly relating to Kwang.

The fourth decision Lee makes is to show the reader that Henry feels guilty about spying on Kwang. On page 147, Henry says, "An exposure of a different order, as if I were offering a private fact about my father or mother to a complete stranger..." Here, we see another possible obstacle with Henry and his work. Because the incident with the psychiatrist, the reader is led to believe that Henry's feelings toward spying on Kwang could be problematic later on. 

The final decision Lee makes is during Kwang's speech on page 151. Kwang is speaking at a church and says, "Let us think it is the problem of a self-hate." This particular line lets the reader see a part of Kwang's beliefs. The reader sees that Kwang brings up a lot of issues pertaining to race. However,