Wayne Doerscher
Fowler and Pyle; Alike or not?
Throughout the novel "The Quiet American", authored by Graham Greene, a conflict of character within the narrator, Thomas Fowler. Due to the complexity of his character, Fowler as a narrator provides a valuable yet sometimes blemished insight into the confusion of his mind. This confusion is none better displayed through his indecisive nature about whether or not he is similar to Pyle, the naive, inexperienced, and serious American working as an economic aid missionary. As we are reeled into the web of Fowler determining who he really is, Fowler starts wondering if he is very different from Pyle. As much as Fowler doubts himself the characters of Fowler and Pyle are different in many ways.
As you read the novel there are similarities that pop up between Fowler and Pyle but their indifferences are more noticeable and go beyond their similarities. Not saying in harms their friendship but it can be noticed through their values of life, love, experience, and ideas.
The Quiet American
The Quiet American (2002 film)
English: Universal CitywalkThe reasoning for this is simply their different worlds they came from. With Pyle his world is revolved around books and theories. While Fowler bases his world on knowledge not from books but from reality as he was growing up.
Fowlers views show a difference from Pyle's idealistic views when it comes to political views and also with the situation in Vietnam. This is when their two different attitudes come to play. Pyle is eager for action, paying attention to the slightest bang in hope of a grenade. He seeks action, adventure, and has a desire to change the whole political view of Vietnam for the better of the people. Fowler, he is seen to ignore the grenades and little occurrences that take place amongst the crowded streets of Saigon and...