There’s no doubt that we live in a world
ridden with conflict. It’s there between nations, between communities and
religions. We all have certain views about every issue, and it’s all based on
our experiences as well as what we hear and read. In short, none of us ever
really has the full story, and believe in our own illusions. This is exactly
the theme handled in Graham Greene’s 1955 novel, The Quiet American.
The
Quiet American in the title refers to Alden Pyle, an American CIA agent. Pyle
is young, idealistic and rather naïve. His understanding of international politics
is based on books written by another author, whose opinions he blindly
subscribes too. Hmm, wonder who that sounds like? Oh wait, nearly everyone
these days! On the other hand, we have seasoned British journalist, Thomas
Fowler, who is pretty much the opposite of Pyle. The one thing that binds them
is their common interest in Phuong, a young Vietnamese woman who is looking for
a way to secure her future.
The Quiet American is not an easy read.
Pyle has been a golden boy, with a good childhood and education, but his
unwavering faith in the idea of the Third Force makes him blind to the
atrocities committed in its name, including genocide. The interference of the
US government in South East Asian affairs under the guise of ‘fixing them’ causes
more harm than good, and this has made the book a source of controversy. With
the events in Syria these days, this book actually makes you think a lot about
the destruction this ‘fix-it’ attitude is causing.
The two main characters are very
well-developed and the conversations between them are the soul of the story.
The woman, Phuong, is just touched upon, and is another instrument in the
conflict between the two men. Greene’s writing is powerful and can be uneasy at
times as it touches upon some of our very foundational beliefs. But if a book
doesn’t make you think, then what good is it, right?
2 comments
The only way to be at peace is to respect the other's opinions or ideas, no matter how much we might dislike them. This however isn't hard to achieve, and conflict seems to be inevitable in this world. Sounds like a nice read, thanks for sharing the review. :)
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely! Conflict is inevitable, but it's how we deal with it that matters.
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