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QUOTE WALL - The Quiet American - Coggle Diagram

- - - - Later (temporally, but earlier in the novel), Fowler comments to the American Economic Attaché that Pyle died because he was "young and ignorant and silly" and "too innocent to live" (23). We later discover that the main reason for Pyle's death was that he was too cavalier when it came to taking the lives of innocents. However, the irony is that Pyle's maintenance of his innocence is what actually led him to commit these terrible actions - he felt that by keeping Phuong safe, he was protecting innocence and therefore, justified the slaughter of other civilians.
        
        We also see irony in Fowler’s taking of sides regarding romance with Phuong, deliberately constructing an image of her that is naïve and idealistic in order to justify his treatment of her. Perhaps this in some sense reflects Pyle’s naivity regarding Harding and Vietnam – they both have the luxury of hindsight, but neither refuse to take note of if before putting their personal interests, first.
    - - "Why does one want to tease the innocent? Perhaps only ten days ago he had been walking back across the Common in Boston, his arms full of the books he had been reading in advance on the Far East and the problems of China. He didn't even hear what I said: he was absorbed already in the dilemmas of Democracy and the responsibilities of the West: he was determined -- I learnt that very soon -- to do good, not to any individual person but to a country, a continent, a world. Well, he was in his element now with the whole universe to improve." (P.10)
  - - - "It's all in York Harding," I said. 'He had read it before he came out here... he's learned nothing." (P.115)
- - - - Analysis of quote: It shows that she is sad as she relates to the story. She wanted to go to America with Pyle but he is killed, that’s why she says America first, but then says England to please Fowler who she realises she must impress.