The Quiet American by Graham Green is a story set during the Vietnam War before the United States entered it. The main character is Thomas Fowler, an English reporter stationed in Vietnam. The story follows approximately six months of his life where he is faced with personal, professional, and ethical trials. The story also follows the lives of two close friends, Pyle and Phuong. Each of the three main characters are from a different country, and they were used to represent it. As the main character in the novel, Fowler possessed many complex levels to his psyche. He came across as a bitter, cold-hearted person but in actuality was probably the character that felt the most in the book. Like the typical Englishman, he kept his emotions to himself, and out of sight from others. He had his own stand points on religion and politics that he definitely stood by. In the war, England did not take sides, on account of their immense losses during WWII, and like them, Fowler did not take sides. Different people in the story felt that "One has to take sides. If one is to remain human" (174), but as an a European, especially an Englishman, he was for the most part, neutral. Americans were not very popular in Greene's novel, and Pyle was the hated American. He immediately assumed a close relationship with Fowler upon just one meeting. He became accustomed to calling him Thomas, and not only as a referential name, but in almost every sentence he called him Thomas, as if to reassure his fragile friendship with Fowler. He came across to everyone as the innocent American, aiding the economy with the selling of plastic. He is the perfect gentlemen, has money, and a good future. Pyle was "a very quiet American"(17). Only he does possess one flaw, he is an assassin. He aids in the making of bombs and helps with the actual bombing of areas. He was responsible for the bomb that killed several women and children in the town square and all he could think about was the fact that he had to clean the blood off of his shoes before he met with the Minister.
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 is set during the 1950's in Vietnam. ... Pyle is a young, innocent and ambitious American. ... Like many of Graham Greene's books, The Quiet American is based on true events. ... By creating a fictional character to represent himself in Quiet American, Greene manages to convey a wide range of real emotions to the reader. ... Reading The Quiet American today, one realizes how little Americans have learned from history. ...
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. ...
