Conscience in the Quiet American

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25th September, 2013 Conscience in the Quiet American Throughout the whole book, The Quiet American, by Graham Greene, the most important theme is perhaps conscience. Conscience is the ability to distinguish if one’s action is either right or wrong. Fowler is a middle-aged British. He tries to feel satisfied with what life has offered him such as a loyal mistress and a quiet home, but Fowler’s conscience is actually impaired and haunted by this past relationships and involvements; he tries to preserve his relationship with Phuong, but the 50 deaths force him to take action. Fowler thinks of himself as someone with no opinion; he does not put his own thoughts and opinions on events and other people. He smokes opium with Phuong because he believes that it will make him behave more Eastern and become less emotional. Fowler wants Phuong because she does not ask for much and she gives him everything he needs from drugs to sex. Pyle is an American in his 30s who was given the title of the “quiet American”. Pyle is not a typical American; he has a good reputation, he is a thoughtful, knowledgeable, and serious American. He is naïve because all he wants is to help and he is polite. He believes in a good democracy and that everyone should have freedom. Even though Pyle is view as the “hero” of the novel and Fowler is view as the “villain”, at the end, Pyle steals Fowler’s girl away from him. Pyle’s conscience is finally relieved when he tells Fowler that he is in love with Phuong. According to Georg Gaston in his literary criticism, he says, “The title of the novel is actually ironic, for although Pyle is verbally quiet he is explosive in every other sense. It is Fowler who wishes so desperately for peace and who tries to insist that he is not involved...” (374). He then quoted from the book, The Quiet American, “It had been an article of my creed. The human condition
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