Eye of the Needle

Loyalty—whether to country or to loved ones—is an important motivator for all the principal characters in The Eye of the Needle, and each must decide whether loyalty is worth the cost. Faber is a spy who feels an intense sense of loyalty to Germany. Faber grew up in a wealthy family, the son of a military man. He was raised with a sense of patriotism that stays with him as he lives in Britain and works to find information that could help Germany during World War II. However, Faber’s loyalty to his country comes second to his own survival. Faber confesses on many occasions that the only reason he kills is to protect his identity. Faber believes that no one knows what Die Nadel looks like, and therefore he must kill anyone who is in a position to identify him as a spy. Several times when Faber commits murder, he tells the victim, “You saw my face” (85). Loyalty to his country and to his own survival are Faber’s sole motivations throughout the novel, at least until he meets Lucy.

Loyalty is also seen in Percy and Bloggs. Percy joins MI5 because he wants to protect the people of London, with whom he feels a strong sense of community during an air raid.