An influential intellectual and author of The Role of the West, a book idolized by Alden Pyle. York Harding believes that the proper “path” for Third World Countries must be neither Communism nor colonialism, but rather a mysterious Third Force (yet it’s never explained what form this “Force” takes). Harding plays a huge role in compelling Pyle to use violence to enact political change—indeed, Fowler blames Harding for Pyle’s death.
York Harding Quotes in The Quiet American
The The Quiet American quotes below are all either spoken by York Harding or refer to York Harding. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
).
Part 1, Chapter 2, Section 1
Quotes
I liked his loyalty to Harding—whoever Harding was. It was a change from the denigrations of the Pressmen and their immature cynicism. I said, “Have another bottle of beer and I’ll try to give you an idea of things.”
Related Characters:
Thomas Fowler (speaker), Alden Pyle, York Harding
Related Symbols:
The Role of the West
Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
Part 4, Chapter 1
Quotes
“No. I’m not so stupid. One doesn’t take one’s enemy’s book as a souvenir. There it is on your shelf. The Rôle of the West. Who is this York Harding?” “He’s the man you are looking for, Vigot. He killed Pyle—at long range.”
Related Characters:
Thomas Fowler (speaker), Vigot (speaker), Alden Pyle, York Harding
Related Symbols:
The Role of the West
Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
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York Harding Character Timeline in The Quiet American
The timeline below shows where the character York Harding appears in The Quiet American. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Part 1, Chapter 2, Section 1
...bar in Saigon on that first day Fowler and Pyle met, Pyle speaks highly of York Harding , a political theorist whom Fowler has never heard of. Pyle finds Harding’s books to...
(full context)
Provoked by the idea of the Caodaists fighting against both sides, Pyle tells Fowler that York Harding wrote that the East needs a “Third Force,” but does not expand on this idea....
(full context)
Part 1, Chapter 2, Section 2
...of detective work with a war on. Fowler looks at Pyle’s bookshelf, mostly filled with York Harding ’s books, reports, and other informational texts. Fowler takes one of the Harding books, The...
(full context)
...calls the Attaché’s Western accent “the voice of Democracy,” which Fowler says sounds like a York Harding title. The Attaché then expresses his sadness about Pyle’s death and says he knew Pyle’s...
(full context)
Part 2, Chapter 2, Section 3
...fort by themselves, asks Pyle if they know they’re defending democracy, and sarcastically asks if York Harding could explain democracy to them. Pyle is unperturbed by Fowler’s sarcasm, and tells him that...
(full context)
Part 2, Chapter 3, Section 2
...Pyle has been meeting local politicians and lecturing them on the writings of his beloved York Harding , especially Harding’s argument that Vietnam must embrace the “Third Force”—neither Communism nor colonialism.
(full context)
Part 2, Chapter 3, Section 3
...wealth, security, affection, etc. Fowler dismissively tells Pyle to go to his “Third Force and York Harding and plastics.” Looking back, Fowler thinks, Pyle carried out these instructions “to the letter.”
(full context)
Part 3, Chapter 2, Section 1
...to leave, Fowler shakes his hand and tells him not to trust too much in York Harding . He warns Pyle that General Thé doesn’t represent the Third Force Harding discusses—on the...
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Part 3, Chapter 2, Section 2
Fowler continues to berate Pyle for his actions. Because Pyle has believed in York Harding and the Third Force, he’s enabled a dangerous thug, General Thé, who clearly has no...
(full context)
Part 4, Chapter 1
...Vigot says that he doesn’t think Fowler was involved, but points to a copy of York Harding ’s book, The Role of the West, lying on Fowler’s bookshelf. Fowler nods darkly, and...
(full context)
