Although The Secret Pilgrim focuses on the conflict between the free and Communist worlds, it does not present many comparisons between Western and Eastern societies. The novel acknowledges Communist governments' torture and abuses of human rights, but it is more concerned with how deception affects individual people. The practice of spying is shown to be necessary for Western democracies; they need to know how to fend off threats to their sovereignty and liberties. On the other hand, characters such as Ned and Smiley note that some aspects of spying are antithetical to the ideals of freedom which form the moral foundation of their democratic government. They want to see themselves as secret protectors of the public good, but they wonder whether such aspects of domestic spying as wiretaps, investigations into people's private lives, and the Official Secrets Act actually help or harm the people they are...