The Quiet American Test Questions – Flashcards

a.simple loves to read about the Royal Family b.Fowler thinks of her in terms of his comfort and physical needs: "she was a certain hour of the night and the promise of res

a.Opium takes away all emotions and makes even death seem like a good thing. b.He describes himself as an observer with no real views on the war. c. and he will be paid for his opinions, not his reporting. The telegram makes him sad: if he leaves, it means Phuong will marry Pyle

a.obsessed with politics and York Harding's theory of democracy and public policy. idealistic redeem "the entire universe" if he could. b. "big, noisy, boyish and middle-aged" types. In contrast the young Alden Pyle is modest, serious, quiet, and soft-spoken. c.Both Vigot and the Attaché allude to Pyle's special duties and what a fine young fellow he was. Fowler can't stand it anymore and makes an outburst that Pyle was killed because he was young and silly and innocent and never understood what was really going on in Viet Nam and then he went and got too involved in things.

a French officer who is a casual social acquaintance of Fowler. b.Vigot is complex in that he reads Pascal for fun and is "incongruously" in love with his wife who ignores him.

It was found in the river near the bridge to Datow.

The first time they meet, Pyle notices the Milk Fountain where Vietnamese people buy malted milks and such. It reminds him of soda fountains in America. Fowler wonders if Pyle is homesick.

(Vietnamese Communists).

who believes in "the Third Force" which, in the case of Viet Nam, is neither the French nor the Communists.

This chapter is divided into two parts. Part 1 is a flashback to the first time Fowler met Pyle. Part 2 takes the reader back to the night of the murder.

He is upset about his death because he knew Pyle's father, a prominent professor of erosion. He sent a wire to Pyle's parents saying that their son had died a soldier's death "in the cause of Democracy."

Fowler and Phuong are at the Continental where Pyle is dining with the American Economic Attaché known only as Joe. Pyle seems immediately taken up by Phuong's beauty, goes over and introduces himself, and treats her as if she were a fine lady as he asks her and Fowler to dine with them. Later an American journalist named Granger and a drunken Frenchman named Mick join them.

American journalist

...

The men talk about the war. Granger says the French are doing well in the northwest, but the Attaché reports that the Vietminh are about to take Phat Diem. Catholics are trading with the Communists; everything is corrupt. Both Pyle and Fowler express interest in going to Phat Diem to access the situation.

...

As Pyle dances with Phuong, Fowler recalls how he and she used to dance at the Grand Monde. Phuong had worked as a dancer there with her sister Hei as her chaperone. Hei does not like Fowler because her goal in life is to marry Phuong off to a rich European, and Fowler is already married.

Fowler goes by boat to the city of Phat Diem. He meets up with a Lieutenant Peraud, who is devoted to Our Lady of Fatima.

Fowler goes by boat to the city of Phat Diem. He meets up with a Lieutenant Peraud, who is devoted to Our Lady of Fatima.

a.Fowler goes by boat to the city of Phat Diem. He meets up with a Lieutenant Peraud, who is devoted to Our Lady of Fatima. Many people from Phat Diem are participating in a celebration of the Virgin at Fatima. The Vietminh join their procession and take them by surprise. Four days later this battle is an obvious defeat for the French; but no journalists, including Fowler, are allowed to report it. b.Greene describes people taking refuge in the Cathedral. c.he aftermath of battle, with bodies and body parts floating in canals, some covered with flies, some lying dead on the road. Fowler sees more dead than living people that day. He talks to a priest who offers to give him confession. In his blunt way Fowler tells the priest that the rite seems unmanly and morbid to him.

a.Pyle relates how he came to Phat Diem alone and by boat; it was very dangerous but he had to speak to Fowler. He is in love with Phuong but is staying away from her because of Fowler. b. He needs to do the honorable thing, which is to tell Fowler about his feelings for Phuong before he acts on them. c.when fowler arrived at his office.This letter makes him even more bitter, because of the underlying confidence Pyle has in winning Phuong. Pyle writes that although he will be in Saigon before Fowler gets there, he will not see Phuong so that Fowler will not feel later that Pyle had been unfair to h

. She tells him that she has been hurt by Pyle's refusal to see her and shares some gossip about him. She says that he is importing drugs and plastics and the rumor is that he is part of a secret service.

Fowler is in Tanyin, a place dominated by Caodaists. Caodaism is a religion that blends Buddhism, Confucianism, and Christianity.

Fowler says he does not believe in any mental concepts, including the one of God. He says that the French and their allies, including Pyle, are trying to make war with the help of people who are not interested in it. They don't want Communism, Pyle agrees. Fowler retorts that they only want rice. Pyle reiterates the "domino theory" that if Indo-China falls to Communism, so will other countries in the area. Fowler responds sarcastically that next to fall will be London and New York. He says again that he does not believe in "isms," but only facts. He argues that the British made mistakes in India and Burma and the same things will be repeated here. He again insists that he is not partisan in any way but only an observer. They start talking again, this time about Phuong. Pyle reveals that he never has had a real experience with a woman and he can't stop thinking about Phuong. Fowler says he's been with at least forty women. His greatest sexual experience was not with Phuong but when he watched a woman brushing her hair. Fowler says love turns us into fools and that he is afraid of losing Phuong although he knows she does not love him. With other women, he was afraid of losing love. He says that Phuong and other Vietnamese women only love you for what you give them and how secure you make them feel, but this is a good thing for Fowler. It means she will not leave him. Pyle says he did not mean he was a virgin but rather he did not have experience in love. Fowler says sex and love bore him at his age; he's more concerned with old age and death and being alone in a nursing home. They talk about God but are suddenly interrupted. A car has come to their tower. Fowler says the soldiers below are telling the two guards to hand over Pyle and Fowler. Fowler and Pyle go into the night as the Vietminh search for them. Fowler is in terrible pain but Pyle manages to pull him forward in a three-legged style. Fowler complains Pyle should leave him to die. They press forward and make it to the car despite the gunfire around them. Fowler becomes afraid that someone is at the bottom and decides to jump instead of using the ladder. He breaks his leg in the fall. Pyle climbs down. The tower explodes into bits. This ends part 4. Fowler says Pyle is a fool to save him. Pyle said he did it for Phuong. Pyle finds a good hiding place for Fowler and presses on along the road alone. This is very dangerous for Pyle. Fowler lies in the mud and rice and listening to the sound of the guard dying in pain.

Fowler returns to his rooms in Saigon; Dominguez tells Fowler about a strange warehouse where supplies are being imported from the United States. He advises him to meet someone called Monsieur Chou.

Dominguez, a man from India, has been helping Fowler gather intelligence in Viet Nam. owler thinks how gentle Dominguez would never take a life, not even an insect's.

person whose habit of smoking 150 opium pipes per day has ruined his mental and physical health. He shows Fowler a warehouse with small steel drums marked "Diolacton," an American trade name for an ingredient used to refine plastics. Chou said a man named Phan Van Muoi has called on Pyle. Mr. Muoi's wife is related to General The there is a rumor that Pyle is importing plastics for toys

Dominguez leads Fowler to Mr. Heng, who tells him about Operation Bicyclette. Pipe bombs placed in bicycle pumps are all set to go off at a certain hour Fowler makes his way into Muoi's garage where he sees mechanical parts and white dust probably used to make the pipe bombs. Fowler goes north to visit the war zones. A pilot named Trouin takes Fowler on vertical raids near the Chinese border where they drop some bombs and then watch a sunset. Fowler is forbidden to write about it. In Part 5 Trouin and Fowler socialize by smoking some opium. Trouin tells Fowler that sooner or later he will have to take sides in the war. Horrible atrocities are taking place and he needs to be involved. Fowler replies the atrocities are part of the reason he will not be involved. Trouin says that his side cannot win and is taking heavy losses. Later Fowler cannot perform sexually with a prostitute because he is thinking too much about Phuong.

In Part 5 Trouin and Fowler socialize by smoking some opium. Trouin tells Fowler that sooner or later he will have to take sides in the war. Horrible atrocities are taking place and he needs to be involved. Fowler replies the atrocities are part of the reason he will not be involved. Trouin says that his side cannot win and is taking heavy losses. Later Fowler cannot perform sexually with a prostitute because he is thinking too much about Phuong.

Heng suggests that Fowler invite Pyle to dinner that night at the Vieux Moulin, which is near the bridge at Dakow.

Muoi is a strange man and an opium addict who owns the warehouse and garage where Diloactin is imported and used to make bombs.

Fowler meets Heng through Dominguez. Heng and his men are the ones who kill Pyle. Heng arranges for Fowler to give a signal so that Heng can recognize Pyle.

Dominguez helps Fowler gather news and exposes Pyle's true mission in Viet Nam. A very kind and gentle man, Dominguez is a vegetarian who will not take any life, even an insect. He leads Fowler to discover Pyle's true identity.

Captain Trouin is a French pilot who tries to convince Fowler to take sides in the war. He speaks very articulately about emotion being necessary to human life and making moral judgments, and that one is not human until one takes sides on issues.

This American is a crude, loud man who is a journalist and colleague of Fowler. His son has polio but recovers after almost dying from it. Granger is the stereotypical bad American who drinks too much and uses foreign women as toys, but is devoted to his own family. His character runs counterpoint to Pyle's.

Pyle is smuggling this ingredient from the United States to be used in explosives.

Pyle's supposedly works for the Economic Mission in Viet Nam. In reality he is a secret American agent.

Pyle is supposed to meet Fowler at this restaurant on the night of his murder. It is chosen because it is near the bridge to Dakow where Pyle's body will be dumped.

The term for a timed assault in which bombs placed on bicycles all go off at the same hour in Saigon.

A major battle took place with heavy French losses in this city.