The Honourable Schoolboy: Analysis of Major Characters
"The Honourable Schoolboy" features a complex cast of characters deeply intertwined within the world of British intelligence during the Cold War. At the center is George Smiley, a seasoned operative tasked with restoring spy networks after the betrayal of a British agent, Bill Haydon. Smiley's strategic acumen often contrasts with his outwardly unassuming demeanor, leading some of his colleagues to question his capabilities. His loyal aide, Peter Guillam, grapples with doubts about Smiley's competency as he defends him against critics. Connie Sachs, a talented researcher and Smiley’s supporter, plays a crucial role in anticipating his moves, despite her personal struggles with alcoholism.
Gerald Westerby, a journalist and field operative, undertakes a perilous mission in Cambodia while navigating his romantic feelings for Elizabeth Worthington, who is entangled in the very espionage network he aims to dismantle. Bill Craw, a newspaper editor and fellow intelligence operative, adds a layer of irony with his grandiloquent speech, reflecting the fading grandeur of British intelligence amid rising American influence. Lastly, Martello represents American interests and is portrayed as a cunning figure seeking to expand his control over the region, highlighting the competitive dynamics between British and American operatives. Each character contributes to the rich narrative exploring themes of loyalty, betrayal, and the intricacies of espionage.
The Honourable Schoolboy: Analysis of Major Characters
Author: John Le Carré
First published: 1977
Genre: Novel
Locale: Hong Kong and Cambodia
Plot: Spy
Time: The early and mid-1970's
George Smiley, a veteran of the British intelligence services who is assigned to rebuilding spy networks after the exposure of Bill Haydon, a “mole” working for the Russians. Haydon has compromised British agents all over the world, and Smiley's job is to unravel Haydon's treachery and rebuild the confidence not only of his government but also of the Americans—or, as the British call them, “the cousins”—who are reluctant to share information with the unreliable Brits and who are prone to taking over areas of the world where British intelligence has been dominant. Smiley's problem is not only Karla—his arch Soviet adversary—but also the perceptions of his colleagues, some of whom think he is aging and losing his grip. Smiley's low-key manner and elaborate politeness make him seem weak and vulnerable, whereas in fact he has a better grasp of strategy and of how to expose Karla's agents than anyone else in England or America.
Peter Guillam, Smiley's right-hand man. Although he is fiercely protective of his mentor's power and fends off members of the intelligence service who are angling to replace Smiley, Guillam fears that Smiley's critics may be right: Perhaps he is too old and too dispirited to break Karla's spy network.
Connie Sachs, one of Smiley's ardent supporters. She is a crack researcher who is able to anticipate most of Smiley's moves and to understand that he is well ahead of his colleagues in figuring out Karla's plots. She often articulates Smiley's rationale, when Smiley himself is unable or unwilling to divulge it. Although she is an alcoholic, Smiley has the utmost confidence in her judgment.
Gerald Westerby, known as a “field man” in British intelligence parlance. He takes all the risks, exposing himself mercilessly in an extremely dangerous mission in war-ravaged Cambodia. Westerby has the utmost faith in Smiley's game plan, even though he cannot always fathom it. He works as a journalist (a cover for his spy work) and is assigned by his editor, Bill Craw (another agent), to penetrate the Soviet network established in Hong Kong and Cambodia. Westerby's weakness is women: He cannot seem to sleep at night without them. His work for Smiley is vastly complicated when he falls in love with Elizabeth Worthington, a beautiful woman who is implicated in the network that Westerby is assigned to expose. Westerby's chivalric code and his almost medieval quest to earn the favor of the damsel in distress are part of what makes him the novel's “honorable schoolboy.”
Bill Craw, the newspaper editor/British intelligence agent who delivers Smiley's orders to Westerby. Craw is an old hand in the intelligence agency who speaks like a nobleman in her majesty's service, addressing his underlings as “your graces.” His employment of such grand language provides an ironic commentary on the grandiose designs of British intelligence, which does not want to concede Britain's rapidly crumbling power and America's ascendancy, especially in Asia.
Elizabeth Worthington, the enigmatic woman who is the key to Westerby's effort to carry out Smiley's plan to rehabilitate the reputation of British intelligence. Westerby wonders whether she is a pawn or a queen in the Soviet scheme of things. He falls in love with her, romanticizing her problems and jeopardizing Smiley's plans by rescuing her and trying to make his own deal with Karla's agents.
Martello, Smiley's equivalent in American intelligence. Although he treats Smiley with oily deference, Martello is conniving to take over Smiley's territory, supplanting British influence in Hong Kong and the rest of Asia with American agents.