Theme Of Betrayal In The Quiet American

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Before reading the novel The Quiet American, I never suspected that one of the themes or the overall message of the novel would be the betrayal which occurs between human beings. This novel supports a saying that my grandmother always tells me when I tell her that I have been betrayed by someone very close, she says, “You never really get to fully know a person.” Besides the novel 's drama of love and war, honesty and deception, I would argue that it projects a big message which is the betrayal that has existed and continues to exist in this world.
Greene illustrates this message of betrayal throughout all his novels, maybe he was betrayed by someone very close and decides to include it in his novels. For instance, in The Third Man, when Rollo Martin decided to investigate the mysterious death of his friend Harry Lime. I first perceived Rollo as caring, brave and most of all honest. But, this perception changed at the end of the novel when Rollo assisted in the capture and death of his supposedly friend Harry. Even though one can see it was for a good cause, Greene emphasis how one should not betray a friend or family member because it just demonstrates how unfaithful and ruthless one can be.
In addition, the novel The Third Man
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The charismatic American, Alden Pyle, presents a serious threat to the more mature Thomas Fowler. As the two men indirectly battle for a sense of selfish possession over a common love interest, Greene makes a bold political statement about America and Great Britain’s influence over the Vietnamese people. Beyond the rich political agenda of Greene’s once controversial novel, The Quiet American is a truly interesting examination of human deception and secrecy. Much like in The Power and the Glory and The Third Man, no character in this masterful work is exactly who they

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