How did you feel about Henryk Duda, Kasia's father? Did he love Adam, or did he just want to use him for his own ends?

How did you feel about Henryk Duda, Kasia's father? Did he love Adam, or did he just want to use him for his own ends?

He sure was a hard character to read at times. On the one hand, he did seem to love his daughter - at the very least he gave her a really expensive wedding present - but on the other hand, after her death he seems to act primarily out of self-interest and greed.

I was the most conflicted over this character. At first, I was completely convinced that Henryk was acting in Adam's best interest and doing what he could to help Adam. It was clear that Henryk would have done anything for his daughter and it seemed like that sentiment extended to her husband, even after her death. I was completely surprised when I learned that Henryk had tricked so many Jews into turning over their property to him in a swap for a place in the ghetto - each family thought they were getting a house to themselves, only to have to share it with several other families he had tricked. I also was curious as to why he wanted his daughter's jewels so badly but glad that Adam didn't trust Henryk by then and held onto the jewels.
I can only imagine how awful living through WWII would have been in Poland and I wonder if Henryk's self interest was any better or worse than everyone else's.

I think it was probably easier to harshly judge Henryk than some others- given what he did to Jewish families - apparently for his own self-interest rather than for survival.

I would have liked to have learned more about Henryk in this story. I don't think he was intending to cause problems for Adam - I think ultimately he was doing the best he could in a really horrible situation.

I don't think Henryk truly loved Adam. Adam was just a substitute for the favorite daughter Kasia after she died. He could have helped Adam more than he did. I will give him credit for continuing to help support Adam after Kasia died. But it was noted that Jenryk was playing both sides, which is what got him shot. I think he felt he was more important than he really was. He wanted to be the center of attention, even at his daughter's wedding and funeral.

I don’t think Henryk ever loved Adam. He loved his daughter and wanted to stay in her life after she married. He was an opportunistic person to the end, which didn’t end well. Adam knew better than to truly trust him.

I don't think Henryk cared about Adam.

I think that Henryk cared about Adam as a way to hold onto his daughter,even though she was gone. Adam wanted to trust that Henryk cared about him, but was never quite sure of him.

Again, it is so easy to just Henryk with the benefit of hindsight. I think he was caught up in the events swirling around him. His world was upended, his power taken from him. The old rules no longer applied and he had to protect his family. Did he sacrifice Adam for the sake of his wife, children, and grandchildren? Yes. Perhaps he saw that Adam was already lost because he was Jewish and he was willing to lose him rather than the rest of his family. He miscalculated and it cost him everything. To me, he is a tragic character and emblematic of so many who made the same miscalculations in those dark days.

Henryk Duda loved his daughter and himself. He would have done anything for his daughter and that is why he seemed to be caring for Adam. Yet he used Adam, just as he had betrayed all the families he had taken things from under false pretenses. After his daughter's death, he didn't want her things to save as memories, but to use and sell. He was a user and a game player and got caught up in his own game. Adam being an honest man had hoped that Duda was also an honest man, being Kasis's father Adam wanted to believe, but was wise enough to trust his instincts.

I think that Henryk might have cared for Adam at one time, and knew that he made his daughter very happy, but as the war progressed and things got tough, I think he just looked at Adam as a financial opportunity and one that could help him achieve some of his goals through tricking him into trusting him. I don't think he had a very strong character.