The Quiet American Lesson Plan

Why does Fowler dislike confession? What does this tell us about his character?

Fowler could simply be opposed to confession because he doesn't believe in a god – but he goes quite a bit further than that! Fowler calls confession “morbid” and “unmanly,” and even characterizes it as “exposing himself to another man.” In keeping with Fowler's macho, emotionally flat reporter persona, Fowler is averse to intimacy and genuine self-expression (not to mention the notable undercurrent of homophobia in his phrasing!). Encourage students to look for further instances of this in the text – such as when he tears up the last page of his letter to his editor, or in his relationship...