Hank Henkins Character Analysis

Despite the fact that Hank Henkins never directly talked to the narrator, the narrator continues to pursue their love interests for the man who is married and has two kids, encountering Hank Henkins three times throughout the story: after the car accident, at the grocery store, and at the place where the narrator lives. These three unintentional meetings occurred over a span of over three years in which the narrator did not see Hank from the car accident until the coincidental sighting at the grocery store. After Hank had told the narrator how he felt, the narrator couldn’t comprehend the rejection as the belief was previously that Hank was in love with the narrator just like the narrator is “over-[their]-head in love with Hank Henkins” (55).

The narrator then creates a vision of Hank as the husband in their life and in their head the narrator loves him, constantly talking about the fact that he needs to get a divorce with his wife, Elly. The narrator believes that he belongs in the possession of the antagonist, and decides to finally make the call to Elly Henkins and tell her that the love with Hank “won’t wait until Kathy and Pam are grown up” (55). After making the call and hearing the kids in the background without even saying a word, the narrator begins to fill with frustration as the narrator has not accomplished what the unnamed person thought, thinking that Hank was the husband of the antagonist, only to be reminded of the marriage by the kids. Going to the only thing that keeps the narrator’s life worth living, the unnamed person realizes that Elly Henkins isn’t home as the garage door isn’t open, and the stroller isn’t in a suggestive position. The antagonist parks her car, and proceeds to kill Hank Henkins with frustration, while believing that he is now released from his marriage with Elly and it was for the