The reoccurring theme in the book, The Falcon and the Snowman, by Robert Lindsey is of mistrust. All throughout the novel the theme is mistrust is seen. From the protagonist Christopher Boyce’s view on the United States covert policy to the Soviet Agent’s mindset of the courier Daulton Lee. Almost every character mistrusts each other or mistrusts another entity. The images and quotes were handpicked to emphasize the doubt almost all characters had of someone or something else. The collage itself has a spray painted background representing the oppression of information and illegal covert operations that are plentiful in the novel. The main text is written with a black background, symbolising classified information.
“We're the only nation on earth to ever use atomic weapons on other human beings.” (p.446) This quote is very interesting, as Christopher Boyce says this to his interrogator after Boyce was arrested. Boyce was asked if he had any regrets for his actions, and Boyce tells him that the United States is the one that needs to feel regret. This is major mood shift, as Boyce was excited to work with Top Secret information, yet his whole view changed, and he mistrusted the United States government. The image is the mushroom cloud from the nuclear bomb detonated by the United States on Hiroshima, Japan. This complements the quote as it gives a visual to see, and realize the horror that happened in Hiroshima that ill-fated day.
“You can't leave here tonight free of it all anymore than I can. Did you really think you could?” (p.348) When Christopher Boyce has enough of espionage and selling state secrets, he tells his Soviet handler Boris, that he wants out. Boris reminds Boyce that he came to him and not vice versa, and now Boyce is too far down the trail, and that there is no turning back now. This quote emphasizes the mistrust Boyce and Boris equally had of each other. They both made it look like they were in it for the long haul, but Boyce suddenly wanted out. Boris on the other hand was also in it for as long as Boyce could provide information, and took a tougher approach after Boyce wanted out. When the first line of communication was made, they were all happy dilly, but they both had their doubts, and this quote shows the true feelings of the involved parties. The image shows two men handcuffed to each other, which represents the nature of the situation at the time. They both weren’t really comfortable with each other, and didn’t even trust each other, however the situation requires them to be attached to each other, and there is no turning back at this point.
“You're backed by the company. You're one of them.”(p.302) After Boyce asks his courier Daulton Lee to abandon the espionage; Daulton turns against Boyce and tells him that he has become a double agent, and that he’s backed by the United States government. This shows the mistrust that Boyce’s courier Daulton Lee had of his childhood friend Boyce. Even though they worked with each other on such sensitive information, they still had mistrust that lingered in between them. The image represents the double agent Daulton thought Boyce was, and also shows the mistrust between the two, and their true colours for each other.
“Let him be judged.” (p.418) After Boyce’s father, a former intelligence agent himself, realizes that his son was part of this spy ring; he lets everyone know of his mistrust for his son, and tells everyone that now his fate should be decided by a judge. This quote shows that his father lacks sympathy for Boyce and how he isn’t attempting to support him; this shows the mistrust Boyce’s father shared for him all along. The image shows a judge handing down a harsh sentence for the defendant, which is what Boyce’s father is thinking that Boyce should receive at this point, bearing in mind that Boyce’s father is a patriot, and that Boyce deceived not only the state, but also his father.
“I know a few things about predatory behavior. And what was once a legitimate intelligence gathering agency is now being used to prey on weaker governments.” (p.429) This quote relates back to Boyce’s knowledge and passion for Falcons, and how they prey on weaker animals. In the interrogation, Boyce tells the interviewer about the CIA’s plot to dismiss the democratically elected Prime Minister of Australia, Gough Whitlam, for having anti-US policies. This once again emphasizes the mistrust Boyce had of his employer, the United States government, and also shows the mistrust the United States had with its supposed “allies”. Relating back to Boyce’s love of Falcons, the image shows a much larger and dominate Falcon preying on the little bird; the image shows the metaphorical essence of the quote.
“There's never going to be any reconciliation. They're just as paranoid and dangerous as we are. I can't imagine that I thought they'd be any different.” (p.298) After Boyce has enough of the spy ring; he lets Daulton Lee know that there is no point of continuing, and that they’ll both end up serving time behind bars. However, Boyce makes an important statement in the process; he emphasizes the mistrust the United States and the Soviet Union have of each other at the time. They both are worried day in and day out about what the other country is going to do, yet are too doubtful to talk it out. Similarly, Boyce now also mistrusted the Soviets, as he thought that they would work towards a resolution, however they just wanted more information to defeat the Americans. The image shows two men with guns in a standoff, each have their guns pointed at each other, yet they are both worried on the inside. This relates to the quote, as both countries were in a similar situation.