The Quiet American
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| Author | Graham Greene |
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| Country | England |
| Language | English |
| Genre(s) | War |
| Publisher | William Heinemann London |
| Released | 1955 |
| Media Type | Print (Hardcover) |
| ISBN | ISBN 0-09-947839-0 |
The Quiet American (1955) is a novel (ISBN 0-09-947839-0) written by British author Graham Greene. It has been adapted into films twice, in 1958 and in 2002.
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[edit] Plot
Set in Saigon, Vietnam in the early 1950s during the end of the First Indochina War, it portrays two concurrent conflicts: a romantic triangle between the veteran British journalist Thomas Fowler, the young American Alden Pyle, and Fowler's Vietnamese mistress Phuong; and the political turmoil and growing American involvement that led to the Vietnam War. Fowler, who narrates the story, is involved in the war only as an observer; his experiences are partly based on Greene's own years in Vietnam. Pyle is more directly involved on a number of levels, and Greene draws parallels between Pyle's conduct and America's overall policies in Vietnam.
The turning point of the story involves an effort by the U.S. to build up a corrupt militia leader, General Thé—based on the actual Trinh Minh The—as a "Third Force" against the Viet Minh. A series of terrorist bombings in Saigon, blamed on the Communists, are used to justify Thé's takeover of the city; similar nonfictional events took place in 1952 while Greene was in Saigon. Greene believed (and it was soon confirmed) that the bombings were in fact engineered by Thé as a pretext, with the cooperation of American advisers. In the novel, Fowler's discovery of this thinly concealed plot leads him to his one political act, arranging for Pyle's death at the hands of the Communists, which resolves both the romantic triangle and Fowler's disgust with Pyle's destructive idealism, but leaves Fowler with a deep sense of survivor's guilt.
[edit] Themes
The Quiet American explores several diverse themes through the relationship between Phuong, Pyle and Fowler.
Love and Relationships
The concept of a Western love and an Eastern love is explored through the contrast between Phuong's pragmatism towards her relationships and Pyle's fairytale concept of love. Fowler warns Pyle that he will be hurt if he marries Phuong since it is not in the Vietnamese nature to love as an American does. The romantic aspect of Pyle and romanticism itself is satirized by Fowler's truthful comment upon Pyle's intent to take her to America, where she would never be at ease. Fowler is already scarred from a previous relationships, and seeks a stable relationship and companionship above sex since he is old and afraid of change. However, several different layers of meaning apply to the theme of relationships in the novel, and it has been suggested that Fowler, rather than being as pragmatic and jaded as suggested, uses his relationship with Phuong to escape his age and the harsh reality of life, and Pyle's involvement threatens his fragile world.
Idealism vs. Realism
This concept is explored thoroughly throughout the book, and Greene uses several key scenes to highlight the schism between the idealist and the realist. One scene which shows this in particular is when Pyle and Fowler are forced to stay in a watchtower for the night. They begin to discuss their viewpoints on politics, religion and relationships. The intense dialogue that occurs gives oblique insight into the cynicism of Fowler and the innocent naivety of Pyle. This theme reoccurs many times throughout the novel to reinforce the idea.
Uninvolvement vs. Involvement
This theme mirrors the concept of contrasting idealism and realism, with Pyle being symbolic of involvement and Fowler being symbolic of uninvolvement. Pyle's want for involvement is materialized in his willingness to kill people for the greater good, to "save the east for Democracy". Fowler, is established as a stubborn and uninvolved man(he must be as a reporter and as an old person) and attempts to make it understood to Pyle several times during the novel that his idealism is harmful, and that the Vietnamese only want 'enough rice' and do not wish for Democracy. However, when it is clear that Pyle has been involved in a sinister terrorist plot which eventually kills dozens horrifically, Fowler is driven by anger and a sense of social justice to rectify Pyle's wrongs. In doing so, Fowler breaks his creed of uninvolvement and schemes to end Pyle's life.
US Foreign Policy
Tied in to the concept of idealism and realism, US Foreign Policy is criticized by Greene. Pyle is a physical manifestation of the US Foreign Policy, who with his dangerous ignorance, does more harm than good even with his innocent intentions.
Love Triangle
The love triangle between Phuong, Pyle and Fowler is a microcosm of the macro-political situation within the novel. The development of the political situation and the love triangle occurs simultaneously because the three characters are all uniquely symbolic of their countries and their ideologies. For example, as Fowler and Pyle squabble over control of Phuong it is symbolic of the squabble between the US and colonialism over pragmatic Vietnam.
[edit] See also
The Quiet American (film) - The 1958 film adaptation
The Quiet American (2002 film) - The 2002 film adaptation
