Graham Greene's The Quiet America

Everyone deserves the right to make their own decisions, and no one can make decisions for others just assuming they wanted something. The cold war was a conflict between the belief of communists and capitalists lead by the two new world power, United States and the Soviet Union. During the cold war, Vietnam tried to fight for their independence led by Ho Chi Minh, but United States believed Ho was a communist, and the conflict then turned into a war between “communist” and “capitalist”. In the novel The Quiet Americans written by Graham Greene, Pyle and Fowler, one representing rising nation looking for chances to perform its abilities, and the other one representing experienced European journalist trying to stay out of other nation’s affairs.

Regarding the spread of communism, Pyle justifies his own action by trying to fight for the freedom of democracy for the Vietnamese people, he argues for the Vietnamese, “ They’ll be forced to believe what they are told, they won’t be allowed to think for themselves” (Greene 86). Pyle wishes to set up democracy in Vietnam, therefore able to grant freedom of thought to Vietnam people that are thought to not be able to make favorable decisions for their nation. Although Pyle tries to grant democracy to Vietnam, but Fowler’s view on Vietnam self-determination is more justified on how he actually wanted Vietnam to be free and make their own decisions contrast to Pyle, who is still trying to intervene and to decide the form of government for Vietnam. When Fowler and Pyle are arguing about the issue in Vietnam and how to approach it, Pyle held a perspective to help Vietnam establish democracy; Fowler held an argument against it, “ I like the buffaloes, they don’t like our smell, the smell of Europeans.” (Greene 87). In this case, Vietnamese are represented by the buffaloes, and the Europeans are Pyle and Fowler. Fowler is not arguing who should be the one controlling Vietnam, either communists or capitalists. Instead, he supports the independence of Vietnam, and argues how Vietnamese do not

When Fowler reflects on Pyle’s action and position in Vietnam after Pyle died, Fowler said: “ He was absorbed already in the dilemmas of Democracy and the responsibilities of the west”(Greene 10). Pyle here represents the United States, and the fact how he is absorbed by democracy showed how he only cares about the name of democracy and nothing else including Vietnamese people’s life. Therefore, Fowler is more justified since he included not only the freedom of thought, but also the sovereignty of this nation. Just like Pyle did showing American arrogance, the leader of South Vietnam Diem also showed great arrogance of himself. Right after Diem cancelled the national election, with the public who are angered by Diem’s action, it is important how he justify his action. He tried to persuade the public by claiming, “ I am confident that I am a faithful interpreter of our state of mind when I affirm solemnly our will to resist communism”(Elections). Even though Diem was not favored by the Vietnamese people and was considered a puppet of the United States, he still put himself forward as an interpreter of the wills of Vietnamese citizens. Americans represented by both Diem and Pyle tried to force the Vietnamese population in believing and admiring their decisions without thinking for the will of the Vietnamese people. Fowler, by respecting the own