The Boy Who Came In From The Cold Critical Analysis

Cold War literature defined society as one that recognised both the futility and uncertainty of existence which manifested itself in numerous anxieties regarding humanity. Samuel Beckett 's 1956 absurdist play Waiting for Godot and Orson Welles 's 1962 film adaptation of Kafka The Trial explore the philosophical consequences of the fears and anxieties generated after the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki and the subsequent Cold War period. John le Carre’s novel The Spy Who Came in From The Cold and Isao Takahata’s 1988 animated film The Grave of the Fireflies critique the militarism and political conflict of the era which created a fragmented society that struggled to find stability in a time wherein existential pessimism pervaded society.

Le Carre 's novel exemplifies political conflicts from the era, using the characterisation of Leamus as a constructed mechanism representative of the journey through a hostile Cold War world where morals are replaced with a Machiavellian 'end justify the means ' attitude. Throughout the novel Leamus evolves from a failed agent to a red herring, to eventually being deceived himself in his downfall. Lemas says; “Leninism – the expediency of temporary alliances”, alluding to the morally corrupt spy world, whilst reflecting on communism as evil, drawn from Le Carre 's own conclusions. During the Cold War, fear fuelled, existential ideas challenged the traditional philosophies of religion. This concept is addressed by le Carre through the character of Mundt. Mundt is described horrifically numerous times before we meet him in the novel, creating a suspense parallel to the anxieties of the time. The necessity of this superfluous idea of face-value is understood when we learn that Mundt is simply an average man. Through this string of hyperboles, Mundt becomes a terrible idol who ultimately results in normality, becoming a satire of religion during the World War. The effects of the Cold War on the personal paradigm are evident throughout “The Spy Who Came in from the Cold”, as Le Carre textually describes how the psyche of the individual is altered by the era. Through the use of pathetic fallacy, Le Carre constantly mirrors the personal ramifications of the Cold War through his vivid imagery: “The light mist was damp and grey, prickling the skin”. This recount is inspired from Le Carre 's own days as a spy, symbolised by the 'mist ', his career still lingers, managing to 'prickle his skin '. Le Carre’ explores the concerns of the period through his response to the political conflict of