Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy

natural fear of the truth creates an alienation of the people in the Circus from society at large. Sachs, Westerby, and Smiley all find life dull after leaving the Circus. They recognize that being inside the building provides an excitement and a purpose which they cannot find anywhere else in life. The physical building represents the delineation between those who are inside and those who are outside. The people on the outside resent their exclusion and they resent the people who forced them outside. Sachs, Westerby, and Smiley all soothe their bitterness with alcohol. They need alcohol to provide the stimulation and distraction which was once given to them by the Circus.

However, this exclusion also works to their benefit. Smiley is chosen to investigate the mole precisely because he is no longer tainted by his proximity to the Circus. Being outside the Circus is regarded as a symbol of trust, even if Smiley still resents his exclusion. Likewise, Smiley, Westerby, and Sachs are seen as more trustworthy because they are no longer tainted by their relationship to the Circus. The symbolic meaning of the Circus is different for those who have never been inside. While the former employees all regard their exclusion as a point of resentment, people like Lacon regard their distance from the Circus as a validation.