Could Smiley Have Acted Any Other Way?

Much has been made in other threads of the transformation of George Smiley into a copy of his adversary, Karla. In recent days I have wondered if a man Like Smiley had much choice but to pursue the course he did through Tinker Tailor and Smiley's People.

When the Smiley's People story began George knew that Karla was still out there. He then found out he was still as fatally active as ever. He knew some of Karla's history from the war and how difficult it is to check his activities.

I don't remember much of George's activities during WWII, but he certainly would have remembered Chamberlain's debacle trying to appease Hitler. Peace in our time, indeed.

George had spent most of his life waging "Cold War without the option." Given that conditioning and his own skills of investigation, fact checking and ability to draw conclusions, how much choice did he really have in his pursuit of Karla? This had been his "Black Grail" for many years. When Lacon called him in to clear up the mess that was the aftermath of the General's murder, was Lacon starting something he couldn't have predicted? Or did he know that this was something that George had to finish?

Or, was it all up to George recognizing the signs, seeing the danger, knowing it all traced back to Karla and deciding "I have to go through with this."