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Examples Of Traditionalism In The Quiet American

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The Quiet American written by Graham Greene takes place in the 1950’s. A time period of the French Indochina war in Southern Asia, The Korean and Vietnam War. The French empire is trying to colonize the Indochina region which was an Anti-imperialist country at this time. China is fighting for their independence, Korea is in a civil war to pose a threat to communism. The central character, is Thomas Fowler, he is posed as the dull, delightful, and bright narrator of The Quiet American and displays traditionalism throughout his viewpoints on the world. He is wedded to a woman named Helen in England but currently they are separated at the moment due to work. During Fowlers period in Vietnam he takes act in a immodest sexual circumstances with a …show more content…

Unlike most young people, Pyle acquires his knowledge from books and not life experiences and therefore he is seen as blind when it comes to thinking in a skeptical manner. Alden Pyle and Fowler both have an affair at the same time with a woman named Phuong. However, Pyle is the soon to be husband of Phuong. Phuong is a local Vietnamese young woman who has a soft demeanor and keeps to herself. Her romantic relations lead to her being referred to as a prostitute. Although she is the object of desire to two men, nonetheless she hardly ever voices for herself and repeatedly permits other people to speak for her. It was concluded that Alden Pyle was no longer living and there is no mark to determine the assassinator, leaving his death a mystery to be solved by the audience. The conscious conflict and symbolism throughout the The Quiet American is the epitome of the contentious global political climate during the Cold War. Each of the three characters Fowler, Pyle and Phuong symbolize the rigid dichotomy of the world-wide atmosphere during the Cold War through their representation of Capitalist ideology, Communism, and The Vietnam silence (Complacency)

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