Captain Boning is a navy captain who serves on Asch’s delegation. Asch warns Boning that the negotiations will depend on Boning’s weapons knowledge, and Boning must remain sharp and alert at all times. However, Boning has an affair with a local Chinese woman during the delegations and spends each night with her, rather than sleeping or preparing. As a result, Boning falls asleep during negotiations or answers vaguely, offending the Indians so much that the negotiations fail.
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Boning Character Timeline in The Ugly American
The timeline below shows where the character Boning appears in The Ugly American. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Chapter 16: Captain Boning, USN
...won’t be useful to him, except perhaps for MacWhite and the short Navy officer, Captain Boning. In a meeting beforehand, Asch briefs his subordinates on what he expects: everyone will practice...
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...weapons from America. Asch directs all political questions to MacWhite and all technical questions to Boning, and both perform well, answering “without any air of condescension.” This irritates the English and...
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...of negotiations go well, but the second week starts to bog down. Asch notes that Boning is slower than he was the first week. He often nods off after lunch, which...
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One of the American diplomats had earlier introduced Boning to a Chinese doctor named Ruby Tsung, who was secretly trained in a school outside...
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...nuclear bombs in their countries. When an Indian delegate asks a question about safety features, Boning is dozing and does not hear it. Asch wakes him, restating the question, but Boning...
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