Symbol for humanity
In the first chapters, Alec is described as a cruel man, who is unlovable and who will do anything to keep people away from him. He begins to change gradually after he meets with Liz and slowly he starts manifesting affection towards her. The first instance when he is affectionate is when Alec grabs Liz’s hair while they were staying in bed when Alec was sick. The action is important because it is a symbol used to suggest Alec’s humanity and his ability to behave just like any other well-adjusted human being.
Everything is controlled
After Alec meets with Control after he returns to London, he is told that he must continue being a spy. From that point on, Alec begins to act in an uncontrollable manner, becoming a drunk, having a violent behavior and irritating everyone around him. While his actions do seem uncontrollable, it is implied that his actions were directed by Control and that Alec was only following orders. This idea is a common one in the novel and becomes a common motif.
Symbol for the division between the two ideologies
The most important symbol in the novel is the Berlin Wall, appearing at the beginning of the novel. The Berlin Wall was built by the Soviet controlled Germany and it represented the division between two different ideologies, the Communist one and the democratic one. This symbol is important because the main character in the novel continues to fight against the Communists while working as a spy.
We are defensive
Another common motif in the novel is the idea that the British Government was acting defensive when it was doing cruel things. This argument is presented time and time again by Control who tries to argue that what they do is not wrong and when he tries to convince his spies to do his dirty work.
Left out
Another common motif in the novel is the idea that more than often, Control refuses to share important information with Alec. After he meets with Peters, Alec is told about Elvira’s murder, is presented with the possibility that his most important spy may have gotten his information from someone else, much higher up. These elements have the purpose of making the reader believe that Alec was not trusted by his superiors and that he made the right choice when he decided to betray them.
