The Sentimentalists: Analysis of Major Characters
"The Sentimentalists: Analysis of Major Characters" delves into the lives of complex figures shaped by their experiences and relationships. Central to the narrative is Napoleon Edward Haskell, a troubled Vietnam War veteran grappling with the ghosts of his past, including his struggles with alcoholism and terminal lung cancer. His relationship with his unnamed younger daughter serves as a poignant lens through which the story unfolds, revealing his attempts at reconciliation and the burden of war memories.
Another key character, Henry Carey, is a disabled widower whose quiet demeanor masks a deeper sorrow linked to the loss of his son, Owen, who died in the Vietnam War. The dynamic between Napoleon and Henry illustrates themes of friendship, loss, and the quest for redemption. Owen, though deceased, remains influential, connecting the lives of both men and serving as a reminder of the war's impact.
The narrator, Napoleon's daughter, provides insight into familial bonds and the struggle to understand her father's past, particularly concerning the conflicting accounts of his wartime experiences. Additional characters, including the narrator's mother and brother, further highlight the ramifications of war on family relationships. Through these interconnected lives, "The Sentimentalists" explores the profound effects of trauma, the search for truth, and the enduring ties of love and loss.
The Sentimentalists: Analysis of Major Characters
Author: Johanna Shively Skibsrud
First published: 2009
Genre: Novel
Locale: Fargo, North Dakota; Casablanca, Ontario, Canada (fictional town); Quang Tri province, Vietnam; Orono, Maine; Mexico, Maine; New York City
Plot: Psychological fiction; war fiction
Time: 1947–2007
Napoleon Edward Haskell, a troubled American Vietnam War veteran. As a younger man, he has broad shoulders on which he loves to give his daughter a ride. He has a basically cheerful and optimistic nature, but his war experience haunts him. He is a recovering alcoholic who only starts drinking again when his aggressive lung cancer is discovered. His central relationship is with his unnamed younger daughter and his best friend, Henry Carey, the father of Napoleon's fallen wartime friend Owen. Early in his marriage, Napoleon is obsessed with building a wooden sailboat for his wife. When he loses interest in the project after his youngest daughter is born, his marriage fails. He discovers Henry in the fictional town of Casablanca, Canada, and starts spending his summers there with his two daughters. At one point, he loses contact with his daughters and his wife for four years. Once he becomes sober he reconnects with them. He lives in Fargo until moving to Casablanca. There, he breaks his right shoulder blade, the x-rays for which reveal his terminal lung cancer. He finally tells his daughter his version of a war atrocity he witnessed as a Marine in Vietnam. As his cancer progresses he slips into dementia and dies in the winter of his second year at Henry's place.
Henry Carey, a disabled Canadian widower. Of unremarkable physical stature, he has been wheelchair bound since 1951. He appears quiet, gentle, and untroubled and loves to solve self-designed math puzzles and to fix boat engines, but his life has a darker side. In his native town of Casablanca, Henry married his high school sweetheart, Jacqui, in 1946, and their son, Owen, was born in December. Jacqui died when Owen was four. Because of this, Henry drove his father's car into a brick wall and fractured his spine. In 1959, Henry, Owen, and Henry's father are relocated to a government-built house. Years after Owen dies in the Vietnam War, Henry is found by Napoleon, and the two become friends. Eventually Napoleon lives with Henry. Once Napoleon dies, Henry is left all alone.
The narrator, the younger of Napoleon Haskell's two daughters. She remains nameless and without a physical description. She loves her father and is the plot's conduit, revealing the character and life of her father. When she is a child she is most happy on vacations at Henry's home. From twelve to sixteen, she loses all contact with her father during his alcohol-induced absence. At seventeen, she reconnects with him. When she is twenty-four, she and her sister drive their father from Fargo to Casablanca. After discovering her boyfriend cheating on her, she leaves New York and joins her father and Henry in Casablanca for spring and summer. She finally learns her father's version of his experience in Vietnam. After her father dies, she is given a transcript of his testimony at a military inquiry. The official version conflicts with the story her father has told her. She thinks there may even be a third version.
Owen Carey, the son of Henry Carey. He dies in the Vietnam War. Owen is the link between Henry and Napoleon. As a young man, even though he is Canadian, Owen joins the US Marine Corps. He is sent to Vietnam. There, he becomes friends with Napoleon Haskell. He and Napoleon smoke marijuana and drink together. According to military records, Owen is wounded by a land mine and dies in a field hospital, but Napoleon tells his youngest daughter that Owen was shot by his lieutenant. The narrator believes another story altogether might be the true one.
Helen and Sophia, the sister and the niece of the narrator. Helen appears tough and straightforward. She serves as a foil for the comparatively soft-hearted narrator. Sophia is a young girl who still loves her father after her parents separate.
The narrator's mother, the former wife of Napoleon Haskell. Soon after their second daughter is born, the love between them withers. She tells her husband he cannot blame everything on the war. When Napoleon leaves, she and their teenage children move to her mother's home.
Clark Haskell, the older brother of Napoleon Haskell. He badgers Napoleon into joining the Marines. He serves as a well-reputed Marine officer in the Vietnam War. After the war, he lives with his dog in Minnesota and sells sporting goods. By then, he and Napoleon are estranged.
Lieutenant Bean, Napoleon Haskell's commanding officer in Vietnam. At first, he appears to be a good officer who is concerned for the welfare of his men. The day after a land mine kills one Marine and wounds two others, Lieutenant Bean kills a female Vietnamese civilian while on patrol. Napoleon claims that Bean also shot and killed Owen. However, military records contradict Napoleon's tale.
Gerry, Napoleon Haskell's friend from Fargo. He sponsored Napoleon at Alcoholics Anonymous. He inherits the unfinished wooden boat from Napoleon.