Percy Alleline
Percy Alleline is a fictional character created by English novelist and author John le Carré, who appeared as one of the titular characters of the book Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, and the subsequent miniseries and film.
Alleline is an intelligence operative in The Circus, le Carré's fictional version of the Secret Intelligence Service named due to its location Cambridge Circus in London. At the start of Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, he has risen to the rank of Spymaster after ousting former Spymaster Control, thanks to the support of cabinet minister Miles Sercombe. He is often seen associating with three other high ranking members of the Circus, Toby Esterhase, Bill Haydon, and Roy Bland, colloquially referred to as the Magic Circle.
On screen, the role of Alleline has been portrayed by both Michael Aldridge in the miniseries, and by Toby Jones in the film.
Biography[edit]
Born in an unidentified region of the Scottish Lowlands, Percy Alleline is the son of an unnamed Scottish Presbyterian minister[1]. Described as a "son of the Manse"[1], Alleline avoided his father's religious tendencies but inherited his "faculty of bullish persuasion"[1], and was accepted as an undergraduate to study at the University of Cambridge. During this time, he became keen in sports, particularly athletics, as well as politics, being described by Bill Haydon as "somewhere to the right of Genghis Khan"[1]. Whilst a student, Alleline first met Control, then an Cambridge don, and by all accounts conflict arose between them fairly quickly, with Control frequently "taunting him"[1] for the slightest academic failing. Following his graduation, he was recruited by a City Company, where he spent two years before he was approached by Maston to join the Circus[2], although it is unclear whether this was before, during, or after Maston's stint as Spymaster depicted in le Carré's first novel, Call for the Dead.
Alleline's first assignments were in South America, namely Argentina, and were granted to him because Circus officials were embarrassed by him[2]. With low level consular cover, he substantially outperformed the expectations of everyone, winning over the Argentinians, prompting plaudits from many of the Circus' high ranked figures, including Control. George Smiley notes that "even Control admitted that Percy did extremely well there"[2], and this prompted a very brief redeployment to India, and then to Cairo to run operations for the Circus focussing on the Middle East. The Circus believed that Alleline would struggle in the region due to the comparative popularity of Bill Haydon, who was a specialist in the area and known as a "latter-day Lawrence of Arabia"[2], but found that he thrived. However, an unauthorised participation in an attempted coup against a "local potentate"[3] in collaboration with America led to his recall.
As a result of the disastrous Cairo incident, Alleline was reassigned, but spared the embarrassment of demotion due to his friendship with many of the members of the then Opposition[3], particularly Miles Sercombe, a cousin of George Smiley's promiscuous wife, Ann. As a result, Alleline was made Operational Director, and had a range of powers, such as the ability to examine all operations before execution
Character[edit]
Alleline is portrayed as a career driven, "ambitious scot"[4], with little in the way of humour. Like Bland, Esterhase, and Haydon, he is presented as being representative of the "seedy, bankrupt, emasculated power"[5] that society was starting to associate the intelligence community with. He is described as having a "growling border brogue" that entertains "humourless banter"[6] with his colleagues, and is visibly motivated by reward, seen for example in his knighthood[6] for the perceived success of Operation Witchcraft. To this end, Alleline is visibly not opposed to brown nosing in order to obtain status and reward, seen in his close relationship with government minister Miles Sercombe. This desire for rewards and success, however, is often seen to teeter on the point of greed, with Control stating "like everyone who's had enough... he wants more"[6]
Percy Alleline, however, as a Maston protégée (140), is a natural bureaucrat – like his mentor, he prizes career over country. Martindale dismisses Alleline as a 'striver' (28): 'Percy Alleline would sell his mother for a knighthood and this service for a seat in the House of Lords' declares Control (142), explicitly equating careerism with treachery. Alleline's power resides in bureaucracy: the secret intelligence of the 'Witchcraft' files source 'Merlin' provides on the Soviet Union (80, 144), access to which is restricted to the four-man executive.[7]
Feud with Control[edit]
Arguably one of the most prominent elements of Alleline's character is that of his consistent feud with former Circus Spymaster, Control. Control and Alleline first met at the University of Cambridge, where Control was a don and Alleline was a student. Control would frequently taunt him for the slightest failing, and by all accounts this is where conflict first occurred. This feud continued throughout Alleline's postings in South America, India, and Egypt, and prominently boiled to a peak during his implementation as Operational Director and the start of Operation Witchcraft
Pro-Americanism[edit]
Alleline is one of the most prominent supporters of closer alignment with America, believing them to be a force for good in the world that can deal with enemies, both militarily and politically. Whilst stationed in South America he witnessed with happiness the "rout of left-wing politicians around the hemisphere"[6], which acts as another alienating factor with both Smiley and Control. The division of Circus operatives on whether they should align closer to America (known in the book as The Cousins) echoes policy disputes that le Carré witnessed during his time in the intelligence community. This belief in closer alignment, however, comes back to haunt him in the wake of George Smiley's discovery of the mole, Gerald, at a safe house. Smiley correctly deduces throughout the course of the novel that the intelligence being passed to the British is for the intent of being passed along to the Americans so they will closer align to the British intelligence services, thus giving the mole access to gradually more significant intelligence to leak to the Soviet Union.
Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy[edit]
Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy is set during Alleline's tenure as Spymaster of the Circus. With backing from Minister Miles Sercombe, Alleline was selected as a replacement for former Spymaster Control, on account of the failure of Operation Testify, in which British operative Jim Prideaux was captured and tortured by the Soviet Union. With support from the government, as well as Esterhase, Haydon, and Bland, Alleline took control of The Circus, and boosted his support by ousting Control, George Smiley, former archivist Connie Sachs, 'occasional' Gerald Westerby, and by demoting Peter Guillam to be chief of the Scalphunter section, a low prestige section of the Circus in charge of kidnap and assassination which is considered to be one of the worst postings in The Circus. Despite an assortment of successes, including a knighthood, Alleline now faces his first major crisis, the suspected defection of Scalphunter Ricki Tarr to the Soviet Union. Unbeknownst to him, Tarr meets with Undersecretary Oliver Lacon, George Smiley, and Peter Guillam, to report that a Mole, codenamed Gerald, has penetrated The Circus, and is being handled by a low level Soviet trade ambassador called Polyakov
As a result of his rise, Alleline is able to promote his own operations, particularly Operation Witchcraft, an operation which handles a secret Soviet source codenamed Merlin. Merlin and the Witchcraft operation were side-lined, however, by Control and Smiley due to suspicions about the source, particularly in the acquisition of a report on naval training exercises in the Black Sea, which control notes is what the Admiralty has been "screaming at the Circus"[8] for information on. This leads Smiley, now formally investigating the identity of the mole, to start investigating the operation, discovering payments from the slush fund to a 'Mr. Ellis', Jim Prideaux's codename, as well as an anonymous safe house in London End for the source to pass information to The Circus. During the course of the investigation, however, Smiley learns that Alleline forced out Sachs due to her knowledge of Polyakov's real identity, Colonel Viktor Gregorov, after he ordered her to drop the topic, and concludes that the source for Witchcraft must be Polyakov. He also deduces that the house is front, and that whilst Alleline and his associates think that the safehouse allows them to receive Soviet intelligence ("Gold dust"), they are actually being fed fake intelligence ("Chicken Feed") so that Polyakov has an excuse to go to the safehouse and obtain information off of the mole.
As a result of Smiley's deductions, he establishes that the mole has to be either Bill Haydon, Toby Esterhase, Roy Bland, or Percy Alleline himself as they know the safehouse location. Smiley also concludes that there must be a link between Testify and Witchcraft, and starts to hunt down the Circus staff privy to it. Sam Collins, the duty manager the night of the operation, informs him he was ordered to relay information only to Control, but that he froze up when he heard of the failure, and that Bill Haydon had saved the day. He then learns from Prideaux's former legman, Max, that Prideaux was aware he had a tail, whilst Jerry Westerby tells Smiley that he had been told by a Russian soldier that the army had waited in the forest to ambush Jim a day in advance. This information culminates in Smiley and Prideaux reuniting to discuss Testify's aims. Prideaux tells Smiley that Control believed the Circus had a mole, and had whittled it down to Alleline (Tinker), Haydon (Tailor), Bland (Soldier), Esterhase (Poorman), and Smiley himself (Beggerman). However, when Jim got to the meeting site, he was ambushed and was struck by two bullets during his escape attempt. He was airlifted for medical treatment, and spent the foreseeable future being transferred around Soviet installations and being interrogated. Eventually Karla and Polyakov arrived to interrogate Prideaux, but all they wanted to know was how the extent and current situation of Control's investigation. Following this, he was released and sent back to Britain, where he was met by Esterhase and informed that he was now no longer a Circus employee, and was given £1000 pounds and an Alvis car
Ready to finally oust the mole, Smiley and his team put their plan into action. They trick Esterhase into privately meeting with Guillam, and after promptly detaining him, explain everything. As a result of the revelation that the information flow is actually going to Moscow, Smiley is able to obtain the location of the safehouse off of a stunned Esterhase. He tells Esterhase to remain totally silent on the revelation, before sending Ricki Tarr to Paris in order to send a message to the Circus' leaders. Smiley knows that this will prompt a meeting between the members of the Magic Circle, and as such will inform the mole of Tarr's location, giving himself and Polyakov the opportunity to silence him. Smiley sets up a sting with Guillam at the safehouse, whilst Inspector Mendel watches the Circus building in order to keep Smiley apprised of the situation. Mendel informs Smiley as the meeting finishes, allowing himself and Guillam to prepare to capture Polyakov with Gerald in the safehouse. They hear the men enter, and hold them at gunpoint, discovering that Haydon is the mole
The book ends in relative disgrace for most of the men. Bland and Alleline are dumbfounded by the seemingly patriotic Haydon's actions and his desire to be traded to the Soviet Union considering his rather right-wing, although the likelihood this was part of the act to obscure the moles identity. Smiley visits Haydon to conduct a final questioning. During this, he learns that Haydon was associated with the Soviets for a long time, but only became fully committed following British failings at the Suez. He apologises to Smiley for his affair with Ann, informing him Karla recommended it as a way to discredit Smiley's reputation if he ousted Haydon without undeniable proof, and tells him that Karla admires his intelligence aptitude. However, a few days later, the Circus receives reports that Haydon has been killed, the allusion being that Prideaux infiltrated the facility and executed him. Alleline and Bland are forced out of the Circus, Esterhase stays on, and Smiley becomes temporary leader of the Circus.
References[edit]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 le Carré, John (2018). Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy. City of Westminster, London, England: Penguin Classics. p. 142. ISBN 9780241323410. Search this book on
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 le Carré, John (2018). Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy. City of Westminster, London, England: Penguin Classics. p. 143. ISBN 9780241323410. Search this book on
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 le Carré, John (2018). Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy. City of Westminster, London, England: Penguin Classics. p. 144. ISBN 9780241323410. Search this book on
- ↑ Allen, Brooke (2012). "Playing With Archetypes". The Hudson Review. 65 (1): 108–114. JSTOR 23241332 – via JSTOR.
- ↑ Allen, Brooke (2012). "Playing With Archetypes". The Hudson Review. 65 (1): 109. JSTOR 23241332 – via JSTOR.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 Le Carré, John (1974). Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy. Hodder and Stoughton. ISBN 0-394-49219-6. Search this book on
- ↑ Toby Manning, John le Carré and the Cold War (2018), p. 117.
- ↑ Le Carré, John, 1931- (1974). Tinker, tailor, soldier, spy (First ed.). New York. ISBN 978-0-394-49219-3. OCLC 867935.CS1 maint: Multiple names: authors list (link) Search this book on
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