“You want to catch the lion. First you tether the goat.”
The Little Drummer Girl(1983), by John le Carré (penname of David Cornwell), recounts a labyrinthine Mossad plot to apprehend a Palestinian terrorist by offering a young, politically naïve actress a leading role in the theatre of the real: she will be the bait to capture a terrorist. The novel mines the enduring conflict between the Israelis and the Palestinians. This conflict has its origins in a League of Nations’ decree that obligated Britain to enable the “establishment in Palestine of a national home for the Jewish people” (
British Information, 2) and continues in persistent armed offensives and terrorist attacks. Despite negotiations promoted by the United Nations, the U.S., and other nations, the Israeli and…
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Citation: Beene, LynnDianne. "The Little Drummer Girl". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 03 March 2022 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/sworks.php?rec=true&UID=337, accessed 27 December 2024.]
