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.
A Reply to DeVitis' "Transitions: The Quiet American- Since its first publication in 1955, Graham Greene's The Quiet American has been praised and abused by critics for more than forty years. ... Such is the case of "Transitions:The Quiet American- by A. ... Another relevant aspect to The Quiet American is pity as a form of egotism (113). ... The Quiet American. ... "Transitions: The Quiet American."" ...
In Graham Greene's The Quiet American, Greene uses the characters Thomas Fowler and Alden Pyle to represent a greater picture. ... Alden Pyle is the title quiet American sent to Vietnam with orders. Seemingly he is quiet because he is the innocent, neutral party coming to aid by selling plastic. ... And yet you have America coming in monitoring the war, aiding sides, imposing democracy. ... Thomas Fowler is the main character in The Quiet American and he is the embodiment of his homeland, Great Britain in the story. ...
n Graham Greene's The Quiet American, Greene uses the characters Thomas Fowler and Alden Pyle to represent a greater picture. ... Alden Pyle is the title quiet American sent to Vietnam with orders. Seemingly he is quiet because he is the innocent, neutral party coming to aid by selling plastic. ... And yet you have America coming in monitoring the war, aiding sides, imposing democracy. ... Thomas Fowler is the main character in The Quiet American and he is the embodiment of his homeland, Great Britain in the story. ...
Although this may not be entirely true in Greene*s other work, it is certainly true in his novel, The Quiet American. The Quiet American is judged as one of Greene*s "entertainments" that include comedies, spy fiction, and thrillers that take place in foreign countries (Introduction). ... Draper, The Quiet American is set in South Vietnam and anticipates U.S. involvement in the Vietnam conflict. ... Written in 1955, The Quiet American is a tale of a young American who is now dead because of his personal involvement in the French-Vietminh war. ... Greene himself describes his work...
Although this may not be entirely true in Greene*s other work, it is certainly true in his novel, The Quiet American. The Quiet American is judged as one of Greene*s "entertainments" that include comedies, spy fiction, and thrillers that take place in foreign countries (Introduction). ... Draper, The Quiet American is set in South Vietnam and anticipates U.S. involvement in the Vietnam conflict. ... Written in 1955, The Quiet American is a tale of a young American who is now dead because of his personal involvement in the French-Vietminh war. ... Greene himself describes his work as...
The Quiet American The Quiet American by Graham Green is a story set during the Vietnam War before the United States entered it. ... Americans were not very popular in Greene's novel, and Pyle was the hated American. ... Pyle was "a very quiet American"(17). ... The Quiet American proved to be a great book that was both praised and criticized. For the most part, it had good critiques, however some American critics felt that it put down Americans. ...
Graham Greene's The Quiet American is a story about love. The main focus of this love is from Pyle and Fowler to Phuong. Through the novel Fowler and Pyle battle for this women's love, but the reality is that Phuong's love is not obtainable. The two men even speak of her in the third person, which r...
America's New War As I awake for another day's journey and begin to go about the norm, America is terrorized and innocent lives are lost due to four stolen American and United Airliners. ... Many believed that America was a super power and how could something like this happen. ... Dan Rather reports," President Bush, said that America vows vengeance for these cowardly acts." ... I have never heard New York this quiet, grave yard quiet." ... As Dan Rather finished the newscast, he asked for all American's to ask what this country was founded upon, GOD BLESS AMERICA....
Pyle does not care about the destruction that just occurred only wants to keep his expensive pants clean and document the fatalities for American propaganda. ... Some interpret them in a Vietnamese sense and other in an American sense. However, I think there is only one way to interpret this, America has no clue what they are getting into and will have no clue how to get themselves out. The representation of Pyle as the quiet American is perfect because he wants to disguise who he actually is until the very end. ... The only real way for the Americans to go unscathed is to never show up. ...
