Cold War Literature – The Spy Who Came in from the Cold, Waiting for Godot, and Red Alert

The degree of frosty War lit timeture dating from the second half of the 20th century is distinctly seen as a time of enduring relevancy marked with a deep moral challenge of morality and the institution, a heightened sense of paranoia, as sound as with a firm shattering of religious persuasion. Signifi tidy sumt texts arise from particular shipway of thinking to polish both a societal loss of innocence and social naivety, presenting a widely pessimistic picture of a civilisation awaiting imminent annihilation.A strong reaction to the context of After the Bomb, which created a sense of atomisation and social alienation, the ratty War texts of The Spy Who Came in From the Cold by John Le Carre, hold for Godot by Samuel Beckett, and nib Georges wild nipping all arise from particular ways of thinking evident in the philosophical, religious, economic and technological paradigms of the period and thus they possess an enduring relevance.Could Cold War Have Been Avoided?The qu estions surrounding both the reasoning and necessity of the drop of two atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki arguably surround the most probative moral debate of the twentieth century and it is in this context, that Georges rubor Alert and The Spy Who Came in From the Cold by Le Carre, search the philosophical reasonings of morality. The Spy who came in From the Cold raises much(prenominal) concerns as it shatters illusions of the previously perceived noble cause. This is evidenced as take briefs Leamus when he rationalises that the ethic of our prevail we do disagreeable things we argon defensive.This not only causes the reader to question the ethic of news program operations further excessively to compare the actions of both the easterly and the West throughout the novel. additionally the emphasis of the italicised defensive highlights the belief that such operations cause concern, as the exercise and deception of others by the Circus causes the readers to weigh up the morality. This is highlighted especially as it becomes apparent that the British are instigating the protection of a former Nazi, another scenario raising concerns of morality. Control then says that intelligence work has one moral law it is justified by results.Control, as suggested by his title, hold considerable power which The use of law suggests a cover framework of standards and expectations, which is not only unrealistic within an intelligence setting, scarce also a complete untruth, Control having just said that they are defensive. Additionally the essence of amorality surfaces within the conversation between Control and Leamus as the reader questions whether the results justify the means. Likewise, when Fielder interrogates Leamus in that respect is a word about philosophical and ideologic beliefs of British and East German intelligence agents.Fielder believes in that the whole is more important than the individual. This statement, transparent and direct, empha sises options of morality for both. Similarly, perhaps as a justification, it is also said that it is opportunist that one man should go through for the benefit of m whatsoever. Apart from a criticising intelligence work, Le Carre also questions both the direction and morality/amorality of gentlemans gentleman itself. Through the use of benefit, the reader is forced to ask if any death is a benefit to partnership, allowing contextual components to come into turning.Similarly, Georges inflamed Alert as a text is characterised by intensified questioning of humanity and human values. The sustained metaphor likening General Quinten to the mongoose who kills the serpent from Rudyard Kiplings Rikki Tikki Tavi spans most of the novel. The juxtaposition of Rikki Tikki Tavi with General Quinten highlights the debate surrounding onset for self-defence, which juxtaposes both scenarios in irony. Another philosophical facet of Red Alert is the validity and morality of the institution.Thi s is a particularly potent issue shown through the rare satirical undercurrent of the Pentagon War Room. Satire is use by George throughout the meetings of big bomb diplomacy as leading from East and West throw around moral questions of whether there is a difference in killing thirty millions or sixty millions. This, in addition to the granting of permission to destroy an un-evacuated Atlantic city so that some would have to suffer for the sake of many highlights contempt for policy-making institutions qualification decisions for the knowledge base, who through the use of alliteration are powerless to prevent.This also relates to Fiedlers belief in that it is expedient that one man should die for the benefit of many. and then through the questioning of morality in Cold War society, both Le Carre and George, present texts which both name highly differing perspectives of their surrounding world and which are, to a bighearted outcome regulate by the particular ways of thinkin g present at the time. Thus both texts possess an enduring relevance through the challenging of ideas such as morality and the presence of apparent amorality.The Cold War era was one of permeating anxiety, vulnerability and fear especially pertaining to the fatal flaws of perception, as well as to those attributed to the human condition as conveyed in Peter Georges Red Alert and Samuel Becketts Waiting for Godot. Winston Churchills 1946 Sinews of pink of my John alleged that with cooperationin sciencethere will be an provoke sense of security1. Red Alert is a text, seemingly habituated to the disproving of this affirmation. The novel invalidates the safety of the machine, particularly through the ironic repetition of the acronym for mutually Assured Destruction, MAD.Similarly, the religious imagery of explosives crossed and recrossed in a lethal pattern is both symbolic of the danger and fatality of nuclear technology, and antepast of the self-immolation of their destined end a reference to the perceived martyrdom of the fitly named Alabama Angel bombers. In 1961, John F Kennedy stated the world is living under a nuclear sword of Damocles which can be cut by accident, miscalculation, or madness. 2 It seems the fatal flaw of technology, as conveyed in Red Alert, is human nature.This is particularly evident as no constitution yet devised is proof against any and all human failingsthe human component part has failed us which again plays on the threat of technology as well as alludes to the existing atmosphere of paranoia prevalent throughout both the novel, and the Cold War period. Similarly, in Waiting for Godot Beckett is concerned withdemythification, with exposing myths such asscience3. Through absurdism, Beckett conveys the dark summation of the human condition with compassion and humour.The seeming nothingness of the existence and experience of all characters in the play can be distressing for the reference, who are presented with a disillusioned , harsh depiction of their world. This is roughly symbolic of the realities of the human condition in relation to despair, fear and solitariness in an alien and hostile universe. Additionally, the relentless cycle experienced as Vladimir says well be back tomorrow then the day afterand so on creates both pity but also fear for the audience especiallyu as Estragon asks why dont you help me? , thus appealing to Vladimir but also the audience who are both powerless to offer help and protection. It is thus evidenced in both Waiting for Godot and Red Alert, that the fear and paranoia depicted in both texts is to a large extent a reflection of the ways of thinking of the time. The impact of the semipolitical context of the Cold War in clearly evident in Le Carres The Spy Who Came in from the Cold, however, in Samuel Becketts play Waiting for Godot, although still existent, the political influence and ways of thinking is more or less more subtle.The Cold War era is often characterised by deceit, enjoyment and betrayal, thus challenging values of honour and loyalty as society learnt of defections and double agents. The idea of manipulation, perhaps an illusion to political manipulation, is conveyed strongly in The Spy who came in from the Cold particularly through the use of tell images of children, which appear throughout the text as symbols of innocence, easily swayed by others.The manipulation of Liz in the courtroom like a blind child conveys the authorisation control over interpretation through the suppression of context. The simile not only likens Liz to the ideas of innocence and naivety but also raises the question of whether there can be truth without context. Similarly, the novel sustains repetition of an image pertinacious Leamus that of a small car smashed between great lorries and the children gesticulate cheerfully through the window.The obvious conclusion drawn by readers is of the lorries as a metaphor for the ideological conflict between East and West, communism and democracy. The small car on the other hand has many connotations potentially being Leamus, society in general as a helpless unit, or even the opposing nations caught in between the ideological forces. The children waving cheerfully presents an image of innocence, and lack of awareness, a stark stock to the looming lorries.Thus, The Spy Who Came in from the Cold reflects, to a very large extent the political atmosphere of the Cold War, and thus possesses enduring relevance as a depiction of reality for many throughout the era. Thus, the particular ways of thinking present throughout the Cold War period largely influenced the composition of The Spy Who Came in from the Cold, Waiting for Godot, and Red Alert. The permeating philosophical, scientific, political and religious paradigms give all three texts an enduring relevance in the modern, twenty-first century context.