Yeah, and then let's talk about it. What struck me about the Quiet American last time I reread was that Greene was not so much concerned with the evils of colonialism/imperialism as he was concerned to show the Americans would never possibly learn how to play the game. After all, if deep subtle folks like the English had failed, how could the Americans possibly succeed? That was the sub-text. And I don't think this attitude is due to his catholicism either. The biggest American hater I ever met was an Englishman who groused at me about the by-gone glory days of Britain and of how the Americans were totally unworthy of taking up the imperialist mantle.
Ugh.
Joanna