The Quiet American Group at eNotes

how did Pyle die in "The Quiet American" and how did Mr Heng and Mr Chou...

Sat, 10 Oct 2009 03:17:19 PST

how did Pyle die in "The Quiet American" and how did Mr Heng and Mr Chou interfere in the novel?

you see, passion of ideas, obsession in things or obesity in people...

Sat, 5 Sep 2009 16:25:13 PST

you see, passion of ideas, obsession in things or obesity in people could be a bad thing.. Robespiere claimed that, passion of ideas is a significant triger of the french revolution which leads to suffering.. obsesion in things as we can see in the novel is how pyle and fowler is so obsessed with phuong's body, they were craving for more sex, they fight, and pyle of the must suffer an embarrasing death while fowler must suffer the guilt......

Graham Greene show how passion for ideas, people, and things can lead to...

Fri, 4 Sep 2009 22:35:10 PST

Graham Greene show how passion for ideas, people, and things can lead to suffering. Discuss.

In the film ''The Quiet American, '' how do Pyle and Fowler treat other...

Mon, 13 Apr 2009 10:56:25 PST

In the film ''The Quiet American, '' how do Pyle and Fowler treat other people? To What extent do they act ethically?

Trace the characterization and development of two characters in the...

Fri, 2 Jan 2009 09:21:45 PST

Trace the characterization and development of two characters in the novel as they relate to one another.

As this story is told in retrospect, the reader knows that the narration...

Fri, 19 Dec 2008 07:45:02 PST

As this story is told in retrospect, the reader knows that the narration is related as an event in the past and that the crisis point (point of no return) is over. The narrative form is not so much a suspense story as the 'mea culpa' of Fowler, the "antihero." The reader's attention is diverted away from the events themselves and focused more upon the motivations and ultimate choices of the characters. This is no cliffhanger story...

Why does Greene begin with the death of Pyle in "The Quiet...

Tue, 16 Dec 2008 14:10:59 PST

Why does Greene begin with the death of Pyle in "The Quiet American"?

I can't think of an introdution for a fictional story that I want to do...

Wed, 26 Nov 2008 11:48:13 PST

I can't think of an introdution for a fictional story that I want to do for my english teacher.I want it to be about orphans at the time of world war 2. Any suggestions??????

I need to do a paragraph of Introduction of the novel The Quiet American...

Mon, 20 Oct 2008 12:07:41 PST

I need to do a paragraph of Introduction of the novel The Quiet American by Graham Greene. Does someone could recommend me how to start it?

Thanks.

The love affair going on in this novel is not truly triangular. Two men...

Wed, 30 Jul 2008 08:43:56 PST

The love affair going on in this novel is not truly triangular. Two men love (or lust after) the same woman, whom they pass back and forth, Eskimo style, in a kind of ménage à trois (French expression for such a situation). Phuong (meaning 'phoenix') isn't particular; nor do Pyle or his rival (the narrator) seem to take much offense in this arrangement. Sadly enough, Phuong just seems to be available as a sort of 'quick fix,' like the opium...

How is "The Quiet American" a triangular love story?

Mon, 10 Mar 2008 05:05:18 PST

How is "The Quiet American" a triangular love story?

The short answer is: No he doesn't. Greene does his best to make Pyle as...

Thu, 13 Sep 2007 16:50:23 PST

The short answer is: No he doesn't. Greene does his best to make Pyle as naive as possible as he stumbles around Vietnam seemingly creating havoc wherever he goes.However, the reader's knowledge of Pyle comes from Fowler, who is himself a "flawed" character. This begs the question: Can we trust Fowler's assessment of Pyle? Much of this great book is based on the mistrust and cultural misunderstanding between the Americans and the...

No, he doesn't. The author makes Pyle so innocent and naive that some...

Mon, 6 Aug 2007 08:47:27 PST

No, he doesn't. The author makes Pyle so innocent and naive that some people feel it isn't realistic. One of Greene's most memorable metaphors in the book is when he describes innocence as "a dumb leper who has lost his bell, wandering the world, meaning no harm." Pyle's innocence and naivete do more harm than he can imagine. Working undercover for the CIA, he feels that whatever he's doing is justified because it's for the greater...

Does Pyle really understand the consequences of his actions in the book...

Mon, 6 Aug 2007 01:10:01 PST

Does Pyle really understand the consequences of his actions in the book The Quiet American?

This quote can also be applied to the second theme of the book dealing...

Tue, 26 Jun 2007 10:44:25 PST

This quote can also be applied to the second theme of the book dealing with human motivation. It is ironic because Fowler keeps repeating that he is not involved, perhaps to convince himself. But he eventually gets personally involved, to the point that he's an accomplice to murder. What is suspicious is why Fowler gets involved. What are his motives? Is it because of his compassion for the Vietnamese people, or is it because of his desire for...

I believe this refers to the British Fowler's cynicism over the...

Tue, 26 Jun 2007 04:32:16 PST

I believe this refers to the British Fowler's cynicism over the "do-gooder" Americans and their social agendas in Vietnam, which in turn relates to Greene's theme: whether or not one country should become involved in the wars (or affairs) of other. As to the meaning of your quote, here is an additional quote that I think shows Fowler's position on meddling more clearly. (He's against it!) Fowler says: "Innocence is like a dumb leper who...

"God...protect us from the innocent and the good," says Fowler. What did...

Tue, 26 Jun 2007 00:16:25 PST

"God...protect us from the innocent and the good," says Fowler. What did he mean, and how does it relate to the novel's message?