The Quiet American Lesson Plan

Why won't Fowler's wife divorce him? Do you think she should change her mind?

Analyze Fowler's wife's letter. There are quite a few reasons she might not want to divorce him: her religious objections to it, her desire to hurt him for abandoning her, and her pity for Phuong. Of these, the last seems the most noble and considerate: Fowler's wife is one of the few people who seems to express empathy for Phuong, and tries to imagine herself in Phuong's shoes. (Though, like every other white person in this book, she's pretty condescending.) Students should consider what advice they might give Fowler's wife. Remind them to consider the difficult position of a divorced woman...