Death and destruction
In the second chapter, Alec meets with the Control who begins to question him about the things he experienced while he was in Berlin, and he is asked whether he was influenced by the death of his comrades in Berlin. When Alec is asked about that, he doesn’t respond immediately and he takes a moment to think about what he has experienced as a soldier during the Second World War. Those memories for him are much more painful than the images of his friends being killed in Germany. This portrays Alec as a man who went through a lot while he was a soldier and makes the reader understand just how hard life was for soldiers and how much they were affected by the things they saw during their time as soldiers.
We could become like him
In the third chapter, Alec begins to construct the image of the uncontrollable drunk as he begins working in the Bank. At first, everyone tolerates his behavior and tries to help him but they soon become immune to his problems. The reason why they accepted Alec, suggest the narrator, is because he is the perfect image of someone fallen from grace and of someone who lost everything in a short period of time. This image scares them because it makes aware of how they could one day become just like him.
A city where you can trust no one
In the eight chapter, Alec talks with Peters about his time in Berlin after the end of the Second World War. When Alec talked about the city, he described it as being an unstable place, where no one could trust anyone. Alec talks about how everyone was a spy in Berlin during that time and how it was difficult to determine who was on whose side. Through this description, Alec describes Berlin as an unstable place where everyone is interested only in finding his or hers own benefit and where compassion does not exist anymore.
Demanding government
Another important image if that of the British Government and of the Secret Services, presented by Alec and built in time by other characters as well. In comparison with them, Alec is a grounded person who tries to protect the people working for him and who is patient. Because of this, he refuses to put his men in danger if the situation does not call for it and is careful not to ask for too many details and information. In comparison with him, the government and the Secret Services have no problems demanding more and more from its spies. Even though they know they are putting men in danger, they continue to be demanding and to try to get as much information as possible from its contacts. Because of this, the government is portrayed as a ruthless and demanding institution that does not care about the well-being of its people.
