Discussion Questions on Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy (1974)

1) What role does the relationship between Bill Roach and Jim Prideaux play in the novel?

2) How do you interpret Smiley's feelings that his attachments are a weakness? (Chapter 3)

3) What is the significance of Ricki Tarr's intelligence?

4) Discuss the significance of Lacon's speech to Smiley (Chapter 10) which begins: "It's a little difficult to know when to trust you people and when not" and ends "Tricky one, that."

5) Why was Lacon reluctant to have an outside investigation?

6) Discuss Smiley's musings about Ann, Bill Haydon and Jackie Lacon's impression of Smiley at the end of chapter 10, especially the symbolism of the last sentence.

7) What is Peter Guillam's relationship with Smiley and his role in the novel? Explain the significance of the last sentence of Chapter 11.

8) Characterize Connie Sacks and the role she plays (Chapters 12-13).

9) What is the significance of her speech in chapter 13 which begins "Poor loves. Trained to Empire"?

10) What is the significance of Ann's urging Smiley to return to the Circus to finish his business? (Chapter 17)

11) How did Smiley proceed to narrow the list of suspects?

12) Characterize Bill Haydon and his relationship with Ann. (18).

13) What is the significance of the "war party" in which Haydon gives Guillam a hard time?

14) What is the significance of Smiley's retelling of his meeting with Karla?

15) What is the significance of Smiley's piecing together the events of the night Jim was shot? (26) What key information did Jerry Westerby provide?

16) What was the purpose of Smiley's interrogation of Jim Prideaux & what did he learn?

17) What was Lacon's reaction to Smiley's report?

18) Why does Smiley interrogate Toby Esterhase and what does he learn from him?

19) How would you interpret Smiley's musings in chapter 36 about loyalty and treason?

20) What is the significance of the statement that he (Smiley) & others had half-known who the mole was? (Chapter 36)

21) Discuss the mole's motive for having committed treason. (38)

22) Why had Karla told the mole to have an affair with Ann? (38)

23) What is the symbolic significance of the mole's end?

24) What did Smiley conclude about the mole's motives? (39)

25) What is the significance of the discussion of "illusion" and the final worlds of the conclusion "a dream"?
 

Discussion Questions on Aronoff The Spy Novels of John le Carré: Balancing Ethics & Politics

Introduction

1) What are the three vantage points from which Aronoff explains le Carré's ambiguity? (4-5)

2) In what ways are the lives of David Cornwell and Magnus Pym similar? (6-10)

3) What are the major themes of the book? (11-13)

Chapter 1

1) Describe Smiley. (16-18) Does he sound like a hero?

2) What impression do you have of Smiley from the early novels? (18-21)

3) How would you interpret Smiley's encounter with Karla in the Delhi jail? (22)

4) What is your impression of Smiley in Tinker, Tailor?

5) Characterize and discuss "Smiley's Dilemma." (24-5)

6) Discuss the critics' evaluations of Smiley. (29-30)

7) How would you characterize Smiley's creed articulated in The Secret Pilgrim? (30-2)

8) Explain the notion of "countersaying" and how it applies to le Carré. (35)

9) Explain the notion of "skeptical balance." (37)