The Quiet American

Compare and contrast the values and attitudes of Thomas Fowler and Alden Pyle. What is the source of Pyle’s outlook? What motivates him? What is Fowler’s attitude toward Americans generally? To what extent, in his view, is Pyle an exception to the stereotypical American?

How is Phuong presented? What is the significance of her name? With what is she associated consistently by Fowler? What does she represent to Pyle? How well do we get to know Phuong herself? Compare her feelings toward each of the two men.

What is Fowler’s creed as a reporter? Compare and contrast him as a reporter with Granger. Compare Fowler’s professional code with those of Vigot, Captain Trouin, and Dominguez.

How would you characterize Fowler’s feelings about aging and death? Why does he like to smoke opium? How is he affected by the violence and suffering he witnesses, as in the scene at Phat Diem, or the bombing raid in the north? How does he react to his own brush with death on the return from the Caodaist festival with Pyle? How do these experiences affect Fowler’s stance of detachment and objectivity, his desire to avoid taking sides?

What does Fowler mean when he compares the impact of innocence with that of “a dumb leper who has lost his bell, wandering the world, meaning no harm”? How can innocence be dangerous? Compare and contrast the “innocence” imputed to Phuong and to Pyle. Is there an “innocent” aspect of Fowler? Is there anything Pyle-like in him?

What is suggested by the many references to boyishness, games, playing, acting a part, heroes in adventure stories, contests of various kinds, toys, and the like? If Fowler shares with Vigot, Trouin, and others a code of professionalism, Pyle seems to manifest a less jaded code of sportsmanship and heroism. Be able to cite some examples of this.

What is York Harding’s view of international relations and of the role in them of the U.S.? On what grounds is Pyle critical of the old colonial powers’ (e.g., France, England) role? On what grounds does Fowler disagree? What exactly is the Third Force? In what ways does Greene foresee later developments in Vietnam (and elsewhere)?

How does Fowler and Pyle’s conflict over Phuong resemble their differences about Vietnam? What analogy seems to be suggested between love and war?

What finally pushes Fowler to act against Pyle? What does the novel suggest is a valid basis for taking moral action? Is there any action that is immune from (or “innocent” of) implication in evil? What was Pascal’s wager (see p. 138)? Do you think morally good ends justify using morally bad means to bring them about? Apply this last question to the actions of both Pyle and Fowler. Is either one justified more than the other? Is Fowler’s decision to set up Pyle a moral one? Or is it morally compromised? Explain your answer.

What is suggested at the end by Fowler’s being sorry and wishing he could apologize to someone? Is this perhaps one reason for the telling of his story, as a kind of confession? What other reasons are there for the particular structure of the novel, with its dependence on partial disclosures interrupted by lengthy flashbacks? What ironies are involved in the “happy ending”?