After the death of his wife Anna from influenza in 1912, the gulf between father and son grew to the point where they rarely spoke. Henry claims this was a way of teaching his son "self-reliance", while Indiana felt that his father simply cared more about his intellectual pursuits than about his own son, saying: "What you taught me was that I was less important to you than some people who'd been dead for five hundred years in another country."
Following the death of his wife Anna from influenza in 1912, Henry and Indiana's relationship deteriorated. Henry claimed this was a way of fostering self-reliance in his son, while Indiana felt that his father prioritized intellectual pursuits over their bond. He expressed this sentiment by saying: "What you taught me was that I was less important to you than some people who'd been dead for five hundred years in another country."