Henry Graves

Character Description
The younger brother of Charlotte Graves, and because of this they have shared similar upbringings but as they grew up began to develop very different views. Unlike Charlotte who wants to keep everything as it already is, Henry wants to keep things moving and changing for the future. He is a man who obeys the system and does not try to cause waves in the world. He has a had a tough life consumed with his work and has even had to go through the turmoil of losing his wife, Betsy. Through all of this though he has persevered and has managed to maintain  his high ranking job.

He is a big shot in the banking world, working in New York as the President of the Federal Reserve bank. This is a very hard job for anyone because this is the central reserve of the entire nation and as a result has a lot of control and power over the economy. The major function of his job is to worry so that others don’t have to. He is the guy who makes sure everything is working well so that public is completely unaware of the issues in the economy.

Quotes
“Simply put, Henry Graves was in charge of the biggest pumping station in the plumbing of global finance. His most vital function was to keep money moving. To do it quickly. And, above all, to do it quietly.” (Haslett 70)

Relationships

 * Charlotte Graves: sister of Henry Graves and former schoolteacher


 * Helen: She is Henry's secretary at work


 * Betsy (dead wife):  Passed away after an ongoing battle with illness, never cared for his sister or liked when he supported her stubborn ways.  He had a great relationship with Betsy, but when she passed away, he filled the void of her absence with more work.