History 371
Devine
Spring 2014
The Ugly
American Study Questions
- In The Ugly American, why was Gilbert MacWhite a more effective ambassador than Louis
“Lucky” Sears?
- What happens to John Colvin, the powdered milk
salesman? Could he have avoided his
fate? If so, how?
- According to The Ugly American, why were Soviet
diplomats more effective in Asia than American diplomats?
- What role does the local press play in facilitating
American diplomacy in Asia? Why did
the Americans often fail to understand how the foreign media works?
- Identify what you believe are the best examples
recounted in The Ugly American of Americans succeeding in
winning over Asian “hearts and minds”? Explain why the attempts were
successful.
- Identify what you believe are the best examples
recounted in The Ugly American of Americans failing to win
over Asian “hearts and minds”? Explain why the attempts were so
ineffective.
- According to Lederer and
Burdick, why were ambitious and costly public works projects not
especially helpful in winning over native Asian populations?
- After reading the anecdotes recounted in The Ugly
American, why might one conclude that many American foreign
service personnel in Asia were more naïve and innocent than
malicious or ill-willed?
- Why did the Americans “love Joe Bing” while the Asian
natives hated him? What lessons are
Lederer and Burdick trying to teach readers
through the character of Joe Bing?
- Why do Lederer and Burdick
tell us the story of Tom Knox, the chicken expert? What do you think we are supposed to
take away from it?
- What lessons are Lederer and
Burdick trying to teach readers through the character of Colonel Hilllandale?
How does he differ from Joe Bing?
- Why does Father Finian succeed
at undermining the Communists while many U.S. officials in The Ugly
American seem to be completely outplayed by them?
- Why don’t the French and Vietnamese officials like
Homer Atkins? Why doesn’t he like
them?
- Though both were well-intentioned, why did the engineer
Homer Atkins end up achieving more success in his venture in Sarkhan than did the powdered milk salesman John
Colvin?
- Lederer
and Burdick wrote this novel with a purpose in mind. What do you think it was and how
effectively do you think they achieve it?
- What do Lederer and Burdick
suggest are the shortcomings of American foreign service
officers? Why are some of them so
ineffective?
- What traits and skills do Lederer
and Burdick believe effective foreign service officers
should have but often don’t?
- Lederer
and Burdick are trying to point out the shortcomings many Americans often
demonstrate in dealing with people in developing nations. Do they
themselves seem to have any blind spots?
Hubris? Patronizing
attitudes?