"We all get involved in a moment of emotion then we cannot get out. War and love - they have always been compared- (152). In The Quiet American, Fowler calls Pyle romantic. Being a romantic, it is his emotion, which drives him to act, not his reason. And acting upon emotions without any reasonable though can lead to abolition. Without thinking of the consequences, Pyle uses his heart and not his head to make decisions. The Third Force and his relationship with Phuong both show his view of something excellent and perfect, but foreshadow his destruction. Because of his romantic ideals, Pyle sees what he wants to see which causes him to side with his emotion to overcome his reason and which ultimately leads to his downfall.
The impact of the Third Force on Pyle causes him to act upon his emotions without thinking of the outcomes. York Harding proposes a solution where a Third Force can balance out the two conflicting forces, in this case, the Communists and the Non-Communists. Pyle takes this idea and runs with it as he uses his "Economic Aid Mission- as a front to provide plastics to General The'. General The', to Pyle, is an ideal leader of the Third Force, and that is why Pyle follows him without knowing the consequences. He believes that General The' knows what he is doing to fix the conflict. When it comes to life outside of Harding's ideals, Pyle is ignorant. He is brainwashed and a danger to himself and the stability of the war. He is also young and innocent, having no experience .
and not knowing what to do except to act on his emotions. Pyle thinks that the only way to help the war is to take it upon him. He sees an ideal solution, which he thinks, will help the conflict. This foreshadows his death and downfall towards the end. Pyle stands in an ideal world, thinking that everything will be resolved. He is nave. Although he seems to have found the perfect solution to the conflict in Vietnam, he is inexperienced and callow.
