James Bond Lecture

Popular Fiction Lecture: James Bond

The Aim of this week’s lecture was to examine popular fiction as a cultural phenomenon. The James Bond book Casino Royale’. The James Bond series is an example of how popular fiction has become acceptable rather than a secret vice to be ashamed of. Casino Royale the novel was released in 1953 and by 1965 it had sold 27million copies, as it was available in paperback it was available to everyone and was easily consumed.

The novel is advertises loads of consumer luxuries, the character of James Bond loves fast cars, beautiful women, cigarettes, luxury food and to gamble. In the book we see Ian Flemming list Bond’s breakfast and his cigarette count. This book becomes a consumer product about consuming products. The audience for these novels were primarily the working class, as they were cheap and easily consumed. The books also show the readers a flashier life style. In the novel women are also presented as consumer items, who can be brought and sold like women.

In the 1950’s Britain faced an identity crisis as they had lost its colonies and was dealing with shortages after World War 2. America was now seen as the ultimate country. James Bond helped to deal with this crisis and Bond became an icon, as he helped to promote Britishness, Bond was a suave and sophisticated British man who always got the beautiful women and caught the baddie. Bond always saves the day before the American C.I.A. With During the War it was seen that American helped to save Britain during the war, yet in the bond films it seems that it Bond himself that saves the day instead of America, this helps with Britain’s identity crisis to promote Britishness. We also how current events in society were portrayed during the Bond series; we see the battle between Britain and Russia representing the cold war.

The Bond films still represent consumerism however there seems to be a switch in the luxuries that bond indulges in. In the films today Bond is more interested in the gadgets. However we still see him dressed in the best suits and driving the best cars. James Bond has now become an iconic figure in Britain today and has become easily recognisable. Bond is so iconic that the franchise provides intertexuality in other forms of popular culture such as films like Austin Powers which is loosely based on the bond novels.

The union Jack is also seen various times in the bond films, however it is not used to show how great Britain is, instead it is used as a symbol of sarcasm to show that Britain has gone downhill. We see the parachute open after Bond falls off a cliff and Union Jacket parachute opens, this now mocks britishness.