The Quiet American

1. The Quiet American

2. Genre War Novel “All war novels are ultimately anti-war novels.” What about movies?

3. Who is Graham Greene? British Author/Correspondent from the Professional British Middle Class- a class in Britain that was especially “sensitive to the erosion of British influence throughout the world.” Writes The Quiet American in 1955.

4. More on Graham Greene Humanist-Catholic Humanism is a body of philosophies and ethical perspectives that emphasize the value of human beings, individually and collectively, and generally place more importance on rational thought than on strict faith or adherence to principle. George Orwell: Graham Green is “our first Catholic Fellow Traveler.”

5. Characters in The Quiet American Main Characters • Thomas Fowler is a British journalist in his fifties who has been covering the French war in Vietnam for over two years. He has become a very jaded and cynical man. He meets Alden Pyle and finds him naïve. Is Fowler a reliable narrator? • Alden Pyle is the "quiet American" of the title. He has studied theories of government and society, and is particularly devoted to a scholar named York Harding. Harding's theory is that neither Communism nor colonialism is the answer in foreign lands like Vietnam, but rather a "Third Force." U.S. military counter-insurgency expert Edward Lansdale, who was stationed in Vietnam 1953-1957, is sometimes incorrectly cited as a model for Pyle's character. • Phuong, Her character is never fully developed or revealed. She is never able to show her emotions, as her older sister makes decisions for her. She is named after, but not based on, a Vietnamese friend of Greene's. • Vigot, a French inspector at the Sûreté, investigates Pyle's death. He is a man torn between doing his duty (pursuing Pyle's death and questioning Fowler) and doing what is best for the country (letting the matter go). He and Fowler are oddly akin in some ways, both faintly cynical and weary of the world; hence their discussion of Blaise Pascal. But they are divided by the differences in their faith: Vigot is a Roman Catholic and Fowler an atheist.

6. Characters in The Quiet American Secondary Characters Granger - “Stephen Crane could describe a war without seeing one. Why shouldn’t I? It’s only a damned colonial war anyway. Get me another drink.” Joe (The Economic Attaché) - “I was three years in Paris. My accent’s good enough for one of these darned Vietnamese.” Miss Hei (Phuong’s sister) – she would like to work for the Americans; speaks for her sister: “She is delicate. She needs care. She deserves care. She is very, very loyal.”

7. French Indochina Vietnam had been a French colony, known as French Indochina, since 1861. Japan conquers Vietnam in 1940. Ho Chi Mihn forms the Vietmihn to fight the Japanese- US sends aid to the Vietmihn. With the help of the US, French return to Vietnam after WWII- Vietmihn declare war on the French in 1946.

8. French Indochina 1947 France agrees to limited independence for Vietnam under Emperor Bao Dai, who is living in Hong Kong. Ho Chi Mihn does not see Bao Dai’s government as legitimate. Ho Chi Mihn and the Vietmihn fight a guerilla war against the French and Bao Dai.

9. French Indochina 1950 – Soviets and Chinese recognize the Democratic Republic of Vietnam under Ho Chi Mihn US recognizes Bao Dai’s government and send $10 million in aid to France. US sends an additional $500 million in 1951- the first US economic missions are established in Saigon. By 1954, US is paying 80% of the cost of France’s war in Vietnam. By 1955, In 1955, Ngo Dihn Diem called for a referendum to remove Bao Dai and establish a republic with Diem as president. The referendum was widely regarded as fraudulent, showing some 98% in favor of a republic. Bao Dai abdicated once again and remained in exile in France until his death