Espionage and love appear as two closely related matters throughout the history of the British spy novel. Between the two domains there seems to exist a mutual attraction as well as an incompatibility. The duties of the spy may put an end to his love affairs, or a love affair may cause the failure of an important espionage mission. The secret agent may give in to emotional feelings, regardless of the dangers this entails, or he may prey upon love as the weak point of another, an enemy spy perhaps. And in some cases, like that of The Quiet American, the secret war affecting the fate of a country becomes coincident with the fight for the love of a woman.
This paper aims at comparing two British spy novels, Graham Greene's The Quiet American (1955) and a proportion of Somerset Maugham's Ashenden: or The British Agent (1928). By way of taking into consideration the particular historical context at the time of the novels' publication, the comparison focuses on the following points: Firstly, the respective depiction of the spy and his activities, also with regard to legitimacy and morality. Secondly, the respective depiction of the American, and the British view upon him. Finally, the depictions of the exotic Eastern settings – Russia and Vietnam respectively – and of the women personifying them, as well as their romantic relationships towards the male protagonists. In the end, the results of this comparison will serve to illustrate not only certain tendencies in the development of the spy novel genre, but also the sociocultural turn from colonialism to post-colonialism.
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. Plot Summaries
2.1. W. Somerset Maugham: Ashenden: or The British Agent
2.2. Graham Greene: The Quiet American
3. Comparison
3.1. The Love Triangles
3.2. The Americans and The Spies
3.3. The Female Other
3.4. Moral Dilemmas
4. Summary
5. Bibliography
Research Objectives and Themes
This study aims to perform a comparative analysis of the "Russia episode" from W. Somerset Maugham’s Ashenden: or The British Agent and Graham Greene’s The Quiet American, examining how both authors navigate the intersection of personal relationships and political espionage within exoticized Eastern settings.
- Comparative character analysis of the two American figures, Harrington and Pyle.
- The role of the "Female Other" as a symbolic representation of the nation.
- Evaluation of moral dilemmas and the ethics of interventionism in spy fiction.
- The evolution of political contexts from the Great War to the First Indochina War.
- The influence of Orientalist tropes and post-colonial perspectives on narrative construction.
Excerpt from the Book
3.2. THE AMERICANS AND THE SPIES
In comparing the men from both stories, the fundamental difference is that in Ashenden the spy is the one who is British while the civilian is American, whereas in The Quiet American it is just the other way around. Yet in spite of this difference in their profession, both Americans are sharing a remarkable amount of characteristics and are being looked on by the British in a similar way. Before delineating these commonalities, their most obvious dissimilarity needs to be highlighted: The foremost character trait of Harrington is his talkativeness. It provides the basis for most of the humour in the episode's first chapter and causes the greatest annoyance to Ashenden. Harrington "talked as though it were a natural function of the human being, automatically, as men breathe or digest their food; he talked not because he had something to say, but because he could not help himself" (Maugham, 275). Evidently, the quiet American in Greene's novel does not share this feature. As already the book's title is pointing to this attribute, it seems to be understood as quite a peculiarity for an American. Accordingly, when Fowler is questioned by Vigot, the first description of Pyle runs:
'He's a good chap in his way. Serious. Not one of those noisy bastards at the Continental. A quiet American,' I summed him precisely up as I might have said, 'a blue lizard', 'a white elephant'.
Vigot said: 'Yes. [...] A very quiet American.'
Greene, 17
Little later Fowler specifies Pyle's uniqueness: "I had seen enough of my American colleagues of the Press, big, noisy, boyish and middle-aged, full of sour cracks against the French", he says, whereas "Pyle was quiet, he seemed modest, sometimes that first day I had to lean forward to catch what he was saying. And he was very, very serious" (ib., 23).
Summary of Chapters
1. Introduction: This chapter establishes the connection between espionage and love in the British spy novel and outlines the comparative focus on Maugham's "Russia episode" and Greene's The Quiet American.
2. Plot Summaries: Provides an overview of the narrative arcs for Maugham's Ashenden, focusing on the Russia episode, and the primary plot of Greene's The Quiet American.
3. Comparison: This core section analyzes the thematic parallels between the works, specifically focusing on love triangles, the depiction of American figures, the role of women as symbols of the "Other," and the ethical complications of intelligence work.
4. Summary: Synthesizes the findings, concluding that while both works deal with foreign intervention in Eastern countries, Maugham’s perspective is rooted in a different political era than Greene’s more critical, post-colonial outlook.
5. Bibliography: Lists the primary and secondary sources consulted for the analysis.
Keywords
Espionage, British Spy Novel, Somerset Maugham, Graham Greene, Ashenden, The Quiet American, Indochina War, Orientalism, Post-colonialism, Moral Dilemma, Identity, Love Triangle, Political Intervention, Literary Comparison, Cold War
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the primary focus of this paper?
The paper examines the narrative and thematic similarities between W. Somerset Maugham’s "Russia episode" from Ashenden: or The British Agent and Graham Greene’s The Quiet American, focusing on the intersection of espionage, romantic relationships, and politics.
Which thematic areas are centrally explored?
The study highlights character archetypes, the metaphorical use of female characters to represent nations, the impact of colonial versus post-colonial political climates, and the moral responsibilities of the spy.
What is the core research goal?
The objective is to compare how both authors construct their American characters and how they interpret the legitimacy of foreign influence in a country's internal affairs.
Which analytical framework is employed?
The author utilizes literary analysis of characters and themes, supported by Edward Said’s concept of "Orientalism" and historical context regarding colonial versus post-colonial power dynamics.
What topics are covered in the main body?
The main body investigates the structure of love triangles, the characterization of the "innocent" American as a recurring type, the depiction of the "Female Other" as a national symbol, and the resulting moral dilemmas for the protagonists.
Which keywords characterize this work?
The work is characterized by terms such as Espionage, Orientalism, Post-colonialism, Moral Dilemma, and Literary Comparison.
How do Harrington and Pyle compare as "Americans"?
Both are depicted as naive, self-confident, and intellectually detached from the realities of the foreign countries they enter, though Pyle's involvement in violent, clandestine activities represents a much more dangerous evolution of Harrington's character type.
What role does the "muteness" of Phuong play?
Phuong’s limited voice is analyzed as a reflection of the "Orientalist" tendency to represent the East through Western projections, suggesting that she is essentially "muted" by the dominant male powers.
How does the political climate differ between the two works?
Maugham writes within a framework where the British spy’s mission is seen as legitimate and morally necessary for the "greater cause," whereas Greene writes in a post-colonial era that critiques such intervention as an illegitimate form of imperialism.
What conclusion does the author draw regarding Fowler’s involvement?
The author argues that Greene uses Fowler to illustrate that "remaining uninvolved" in a morally complex conflict is essentially an impossibility, forcing the protagonist to take sides to retain his humanity.
- Quote paper
- M.A. Sylvio Konkol (Author), 2013, Comparing selected aspects of Somerset Maugham's "Ashenden or The British Agent" and Graham Greene's "The Quiet American", Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/305578
