yearThe Ugly American was published, Southeast Asia comprised nine independent states: Thailand, Burma, Malaya, North Vietnam, South Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Indonesia, and the Philippines. Singapore and Borneo were still British colonies, while Timor was under Portuguese control. In the global Cold War context, North Vietnam aligned itself with Russia and China, whereas Thailand, the Philippines, and South Vietnam allied with the United States, receiving U.S. military aid. The other four nations aimed to stay neutral, avoiding commitment to either bloc and only accepting nonmilitary aid. (This mirrors the stance of the Sarkhanese government in The Ugly American, which prioritizes maintaining its independence.) These neutral countries were courted by both the West and the communists, and they accepted aid from both sides.

The criticisms of U.S. attitudes and policies in Southeast Asia highlighted in The Ugly American were not unique at the time. For instance, a few months prior to the publication of The Ugly American, Claude A. Buss, a history professor at Stanford University, made several similar observations in his book Southeast Asia and the World Today, where he analyzed the relationships between Southeast Asian nations and the United States. Buss noted that many people in these countries were skeptical about U.S. military assistance and had doubts about economic aid, perceiving it as primarily benefiting American interests. Buss also mentioned that Asians viewed Americans working in their countries as mediocre individuals who saw their overseas assignments "as an interesting experience or a good deal—as an excellent opportunity to see the world at government expense and to collect cheap, unusual souvenirs." In another passage that could have been taken directly from The Ugly American, Buss stated, "Asians decried the waste, the rusting machines, and the useless projects which they also helped pay for…. They wished that programs had been more tailored for their own needs and desires."

Parables

The Ugly American is a distinctive novel because it loosely connects various episodes. The closest thing to a unified plot is Ambassador Gilbert MacWhite’s progressive understanding of how to combat communism. Each story acts as a parable, demonstrating either the flaws in U.S. behavior and policy or suggesting a better alternative. According to M. H. Abrams, a parable is "a short narrative presented so as to stress the tacit but detailed analogy between its component parts and a thesis or lesson that the narrator is trying to bring home to us." In the first story, featuring "Lucky" Lou Sears, every detail reinforces the book's central theme: Americans in foreign service are failing in their duties, often without realizing it. In contrast, the third story, "Nine Friends," focuses on Father Finian, highlighting how he is one of the few who acts effectively and decisively in American interests. There are no subtle nuances in this black-and-white storytelling approach; the meaning of each parable is unmistakably clear.

• 1950s: In 1957, the Soviet Union launches Sputnik 1, the first artificial satellite, marking the beginning of the space age. This event triggers concerns in the United States about the Soviet Union's lead in military technology and their potential to launch ballistic missiles from Europe capable of reaching the U.S. The Sputnik launch directly leads to the establishment of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) in 1958. The following decade is characterized by the intense space race between the two superpowers.

  Today: In 2004, President George W. Bush unveils a new vision for the nation's space exploration program. He commits the United States to a long-term human and robotic exploration initiative, starting with a return to the Moon, paving the way for future missions to Mars and beyond. The planned return to the Moon is set for as early as 2015 and no later than 2020.

• 1950s: The Cold War between the United States and the communist Soviet Union dominates global politics. Fear of communist infiltration within the U.S. leads to the McCarthy era, named after Senator Joe McCarthy (R-Wis.), who uses aggressive and often unethical methods to root out alleged communists and their sympathizers. His extreme tactics eventually lead to his discreditation and censure by the Senate in 1954.

  Today: With the Cold War over, communism persists in only a few countries (Vietnam, Cuba, North Korea). The primary perceived threat to the United States and the West is now international terrorism. Similar to the Cold War era, politicians today strive to avoid being seen as "soft on terrorism," often positioning themselves as tough on terror to gain voter support.

• 1950s: The United States begins its involvement in Vietnam by providing military aid to the French in their conflict with communist forces. Following the French defeat, U.S. efforts shift towards establishing a stable, non-communist government in South Vietnam that aligns with American interests.

  Today: The Vietnam War, which ended in a U.S. defeat, continues to influence the national psyche and politics. In the 2004 presidential election, Democratic candidate Senator John Kerry emphasizes his credentials as a decorated Vietnam War veteran, although his service record is contested in television ads by a conservative group of Vietnam veterans.

• The Ugly American was adapted into a movie in 1962. It was produced and directed by George Englund and featured Marlon Brando in the role of Ambassador Gilbert MacWhite. Englund's efforts on the film earned him a nomination for a Golden Globe award.

Sources

Abrams, M. H., A Glossary of Literary Terms, fourth edition, Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 1981, p. 6.

Buss, Claude A., Southeast Asia and the World Today, D. Van Nostrand, pp. 92-93.

Hatch, Robert, "Books in Brief," in The Nation, October 4, 1958, p. 199.

Hellmann, John, American Myth and the Legacy of Vietnam, Columbia University Press, 1986, p. 17.

Lederer, William J., and Eugene Burdick, The Ugly American, Norton, 1958.

Mill, Edward W., "A New Diplomacy for Asia," in Yale Review, Spring 1959, p. 434.

Trumbull, Robert, "The Ambassador Who Didn't Read Sarkhanese," in New York Times Book Review, October 5, 1958, p. 38.

Vandenbosch, Amry, "Our Friends and Antagonists in Southeast Asia," in Southeast Asia in the Coming World, edited by Philip W. Thayer, Johns Hopkins Press, 1953, p. 47.

Williams, Lea E., Southeast Asia: A History, Oxford University Press, 1976, p. 266.

Further Reading

Allen, Richard, A Short Introduction to the History and Politics of Southeast Asia, Oxford University Press, 1970.

This concise overview of Southeast Asia is invaluable for understanding the political landscape of the region during the 1950s. Particularly noteworthy is Allen's examination of French involvement in Indochina and their defeat at Dien Bien Phu in 1954, which provides context for the events involving Major Monet and Major Wolchek in The Ugly American.

Christie, Clive, "The Quiet American" and "The Ugly American": Western Literary Perspectives on Indo-China in a Decade of Transition, 1950–1960, University of Kent at Canterbury, Centre of South-East Asian Studies, Occasional Paper No. 10, 1989.

Christie explores Graham Greene's The Quiet American, The Ugly American, and the memoirs of Dr. Thomas Dooley, a U.S. Navy doctor who served in Vietnam and Laos during the 1950s, along with French literature about the Indochina war. He analyzes these works within the context of the communist struggle in Southeast Asia and the dominant Western political perspectives on Asia.

Kuhn, Delia W., "Bagging Asia," in Saturday Review, October 4, 1958, pp. 32-33.

In her review of The Ugly American, Kuhn, like several other critics, pointed out what she perceived as superficial character development. However, she also acknowledged the authors' firsthand knowledge of the subject while remaining skeptical about the notion that the United States could save Asia.

Steel, Ronald, Pax Americana: The Cold War Empire and the Politics of Counterrevolution, revised edition, Penguin, 1970.

In this influential book, first published in 1967, Steel examines the concept of "Pax Americana" (Latin for "American peace"), which he interprets as a form of benevolent imperialism with noble intentions. Steel's chapter on U.S. foreign aid and its role in imperialism is particularly relevant to The Ugly American. In the revised edition, published as the United States faced defeat in Vietnam, Steel adjusted his views, arguing that it was not simple to assert that U.S. foreign policy aimed to promote freedom.