What is the meaning of the Ugly American?

: an American in a foreign country whose behavior is offensive to the people of that country.

Where does the term the ugly American come from?

Pejorative term for Americans traveling or living abroad who remain ignorant of local culture and judge everything by American standards. The term is taken from the title of a book by Eugene Burdick and William Lederer.

What is the theme of the Ugly American?

Racism and Cultural Insensitivity. Despite living and working in another country, most members of the American Foreign Service hold racist views and lack awareness of the cultures they live amongst.

Who is the author of The Ugly American?

William Lederer
Eugene Burdick
The Ugly American/Authors

Who is the ugly American in the Ugly American?

Homer Atkins
Colonel HillandaleEmma AtkinsApacheSolomon Asch
The Ugly American/Characters
In the episode that lends the book its title, the “ugly American” is Homer Atkins, a plain and plain-spoken man, who has been sent by the U.S. government to advise the Southeast Asian country of Sarkhan on engineering projects.

How big is the country of Sarkhan in the Ugly American?

Sarkhan is presented as a country of about 18 to 20 million people with a rather shaky government that fears a possible coup attempt by the communists, who are powerful and well-organized. Sarkhan tries to stay independent of the two superpowers and as a result receives aid from both.

Which is the Best Book of the Ugly American?

His best known work is The Ugly American (1958; with Burdick). His other novels include Sarkhan (1965; with Burdick) and I, Giorghos (1984). Ensign O’Toole and Me (1957) is a humorous look at life in the navy; A Nation of Sheep (1961) discusses how the United States could be more successful in its foreign aid projects.

Is the Ugly American based on a true story?

Sarkhan tries to stay independent of the two superpowers and as a result receives aid from both. But too often, as the authors make clear in this fictional story that they claim is based on fact, U.S. aid does not meet the needs of the local people.

Who is Louis Sears in the Ugly American?

The Ugly American begins in the fictional Southeast Asian country of Sarkhan, in the office of U.S. ambassador Louis Sears. Sears is upset because a hostile cartoon of him has appeared in the local newspaper. Meanwhile an American named John Colvin is recovering in the hospital after being beaten up.