The Quiet American. By Graham Greene. Study Guide. Background: Vietnam has
a long and varied history of independence, Chinese domination, and its own.
The Quiet American By Graham Greene Study Guide Background: Vietnam has a long and varied history of independence, Chinese domination, and its own domination of other Southeast Asian states. The French colonized Vietnam in the mid 19th Century. A Vietnamese nationalist who took the name Ho Chi Minh was exiled from by the French Vietnam in the early 20th Century. He traveled the world, and, inspired by the Soviet example, became a communist and founded the Viet Minh, a Vietnamese nationalist movement led by Ho and other communists. Following the French surrender to Germany in 1940, the Japanese occupied Vietnam and Ho returned to Vietnam. In 1945, following a famine which claimed 1-2 million lives, he proclaimed Vietnamese independence and appealed to the United States for recognition. Instead, the US and Great Britain helped to reinstate the French as colonial rulers of Vietnam. The Viet Minh then declared war on the French and the French-Indochina War, 1946-1954, began. The French would be assisted by some Vietnamese troops and American advisors. Eventually, as the war became unpopular in France, the US would assume almost its entire cost. Graham Greene lived in Vietnam while he wrote the novel in 1952-1953. Characters: Thomas Fowler (narrator): A British journalist Alden Pyle: An American advisor, new to Vietnam Phuong: A young Vietnamese woman, Fowler’s girlfriend/mistress York Harding: An American scholar of foreign policy, he is Pyle’s main source of information on Vietnam Granger: An American journalist M. Chou and M. Heng: Saigon “businessmen” with connections to the Viet Minh General The: the only actual historical figure in the book, a Vietnamese warlord 1. Why do the police want to talk to Fowler and Phuong? 2. What is to source of Pyle’s knowledge about Southeast Asia? 3. Describe Granger. 4. Why did Pyle make the risky trip to see Fowler? 5. What news did Fowler receive in the telegram? 6. What did Phuong reveal to Fowler about Pyle’s business? 7. Why did Pyle and Fowler go to Tanyin? 8. What happened to them on the way back? 9. What do Pyle and Fowler discuss in the guard tower? Note: This is the most important scene in the book. Read it twice. 10. What specifically did Pyle do for Fowler that night?
11. What did Fowler’s wife say to him in her letter? What did Fowler tell Pyle and Phuong about the letter? 12. What do M. Heng and M. Chou tell Fowler? 13. Why does Phuong leave Fowler for Pyle? 14. What type of bombs were linked to Pyle? 15. What news did Fowler receive from his editor? 16. How does Fowler know that Pyle was behind the bombing (the one intended for the parade)? 17. How does he show his anger toward Pyle? 18. How is Fowler involved in Pyle’s death? 19. What news does Fowler receive in the end?
