n Graham Greene's The Quiet American, Greene uses the characters Thomas Fowler and Alden Pyle to represent a greater picture. In the interactions among these characters, he is simplifying the situation in Vietnam into a personal model to be viewed. Graham Greene developed the attitudes and personalities of his characters almost to be a condensed legend of the countries they represented. In their actions, and opinions formed on them by others, was a reflection of the general feeling overall in Vietnam. .
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. He has a good reputation, and is very curt and proper. Na?ve is best to superficially describe his demeanor; he is only trying to help. But ignorance is probably better to this character for he does not realize the destruction he is causing and does not realize that he is more meddlesome than helpful. And that is exactly what Graham Greene is trying to portray this character's representation of the United States. Pyle as an individual reflects America as a whole as they were seen as ignorantly trying to interfere in Vietnam, being neutral. But actually harming in trying to help Pyle as a character and as the symbol of his country was portrayed of promising the Vietnamese things, trying to forge for them a new life they did not need nor understand. This is seen with his relationship with Phuong as he woos her away from Thomas Fowler with promises of skyscrapers and the Statue of Liberty. .
Phuong, can be seen as the innocent country Vietnam whose promising lands pose the stage for a war between the politics of greedier forces. Phuong and the majority of Vietnam, the peasants, know nothing but their simple existence. They farm their rice paddies; they sustain themselves- that is all they know. No matter who wins the war, how will it affect most of the country? Will they not go back to doing the same thing they did the day before? And yet you have America coming in monitoring the war, aiding sides, imposing democracy.
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. ...
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. ...
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. ...
