The Quiet American | Topics for Discussion & Projects

The Quiet American Topics for Discussion

How do Granger and Alden Pyle represent American stereotypes? How is Pyle different than the usual picture of an American?

In what way is Pyle and Fowler's treatment of Phuong a metaphor for how foreign occupying forces treat her native country of Viet Nam?

Discuss Greene's theme that to be human, you have to take a side. Do you believe that's true? Was it true in Fowler's life?

Fowler thinks of himself as a realist interested only in facts and the physical world. Do you think he is a realist or a cynic? Use passages from The Quiet American to support your ideas.

How do you think Phuong really feels about Fowler and Pyle? Why doesn't she get a chance to express her desires? How do you think her character could have been better developed, or do you like the depiction the way it is?

Discuss the political and philosophical...
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