The Quiet American

            The Quiet American is set during the 1950's in Vietnam. It tells a tale of the struggles of two people, Thomas Fowler and Alden Pyle. Fowler is an aging, British foreign correspondent and an opium addict. He has been living in Vietnam with his mistress Phuong for quite a while and does not wish to go back to Europe. Pyle is a young, innocent and ambitious American. He thinks he can change the world if he tries hard enough. In other words, he is the exact opposite of Fowler. Fowler is an anti-American, but in times of war, he finds an unlikely ally in Pyle and they become close friends for a while.
             Although one of the major themes of the book is the conflict in Vietnam, love also plays an important role in the story. Throughout the novel, Fowler and Pyle compete for the affection of Fowler's mistress, Phuong. She leaves Fowler for the much younger Pyle, but later returns to Fowler. Even as the story concludes, we still do not know if she truly loved either one of them.
             Phuong represents the typical Vietnamese woman. From an early age, she must look out for herself because she can't really rely on her family for support. Her older sister is constantly trying to convince Fowler to marry Phuong and take her back to Europe with him, but Fowler is already married to another woman. Phuong's sister knows that she will not be able to support both of them so she tries to marry Phuong while she is still young and desirable. This was a common occurrence in Vietnam, especially in a time of war. Women did not have a chance to live a good life on their own. They needed a husband to support them. A single woman did not have many career options. She could either be a dancer, a prostitute, or a homemaker. The last option called for marriage, and provided security and comfort. Phuong left Fowler for Pyle because he promised to marry her. He was also in a better financial position than Fowler and was much younger than him.