The Quiet American Lesson Plan

Orientalism, by Edward Said

Kind of Activity:

Classwide Discussion

Objective:

Consider the text through the lens' of Edward Said's influential theory of Orientalism.

Common Core Standards:

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.9-10.1, CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.9-10.4

Structure:

Some students will likely have noticed some troubling problematic undertones in The Quiet American. Fowler and Pyle often speak patronizingly about Vietnamese people, and allude to characterizations of them as “children” or “childlike.” Fowler describes the behavior of Vietnamese individuals as if it is biologically determined and uniform among all Vietnamese people. This attitude is part of a very long...