Transmedia characters and narrative identity

Bond

From a View to a Kill

"When Bond was in Paris he invariably stuck to the same addresses. He stayed at the Terminus Nord, because he liked station hotels and because this was the least pretentious and most anonymous of them. He had luncheon at the Cafe de la Paix, the Rotonde or the D'me, because the food was good enough and it amused him to watch the people. If he wanted a solid drink he had it at Harry's Bar, both because of the solidity of the drinks and because, on his first ignorant visit to Paris at the age of sixteen, he had done what Harry's advertisement in the Continental Daily Mail had told him to do and had said to his taxi-driver 'Sank Roo Doe Noo'. That had started one of the memorable evenings of his life, culminating in the loss, almost simultaneous, of his virginity and his notecase."

These lines introduce James Bond into the short story "From a View to Kill" and show him from a more intimate and personal point-of-view. Bond is presented in a state of idleness and the reader has the opportunity to view James at a moment in his life of espionage when he is enjoying a bit of recreation. The passage also gives the reader a brief sketch of one of James' happier moments from his youth (his first visit to Paris), which, typically enough, ends with James having a sexual adventure and being the victim of a petty theft.

The passage also identifies James as a creature of habit: "When Bond was in Paris he invariably stuck to the same addresses." This line helps to support the transmedia idea of James Bond, the man who always dresses impeccably in a suit and tie, the man who always drives a nice car, and who always drinks the same strong drink, "Shaken, not stirred." Here, we see that Bond never ventures out of his routine, revisiting the same old places again and again.

Yet, it is also clear that Bond is not without his reasons for being a creature of habit. He enjoys revisiting the same old places because each in its own way serves his purposes. He always stays at the station hotel because he does not like pretentious hotels. (This indicates that James is, after all, a common man, an average sort of Joe with humble tastes -- a man who does not like to appear more than he is… in fact, it is almost deceptive, for Bond is anything but ordinary: he is the world's greatest spy and one would think the world's greatest spy would like to indulge in a nicer hotel than the Terminus Nord. Is this perhaps a bit of role-playing for James? Acting as the commoner to avoid notice? Perhaps. But perhaps the very name and location appeal to James more than its simplicity: The Terminus Nord is at the end of the line, the last stop, and Bond is certainly a "last stop" kind of man.)

The lines show that Bond also sticks to the same restaurants and bars because the food and the drinks are good. He is a man of taste and discernment after all. While he would rather reside in anonymity, he prefers to live in comfort -- thus, he dines and drinks in establishments that he knows will please him. Connected with one such establishment is the added bonus of a whiff of sexual nostalgia.

Bond's description in this passage of liking anonymity connects it to the larger story as a whole in the fact that he later disguises himself as a courier in order to catch the assassin. This passage shows that Bond is able to blend in and be, in other words, someone he is not -- a nobody. He is indeed a somebody, perhaps one of the most famous somebodys ever created -- but that does not mean he wishes to advertise.

In conclusion, Bond's adventure in France is foreshadowed by a depiction of his recreation in Paris -- a vacation in anonymity and decent dining. He can blend in and yet stand out (which is why he is so easily found by M's agent, who comes to give James an assignment). Bond is a creature of habit and a creature of reason, but also a lover of women and pleasure. He is the ultimate playboy, the most admired of transmedia men.

For Your Eyes Only

"Bond had time for these reflections because M. seemed to be having difficulty in coming to the point. Bond had been asked if he had anything on at the moment, and he had replied happily that he hadn't and had waited for Pandora's box to be opened for him. He was mildly intrigued because M. had addressed him as James and not by his number -- 007. This was unusual during duty hours. It sounded as if there might be some personal angle to this assignment -- as if it might be put to him more as a request than as an order. And it seemed to Bond that there was an extra small cleft of worry between the frosty, damnably clear, grey eyes. And three minutes was certainly too long to spend getting a pipe going."

This passes introduces Bond to the reader in the short story, "For Your Eyes Only," in which Bond is sent to Vermont in order to settle a personal score for M. The passage that precedes it shows Bond reflecting upon the grass mowers, the smell of cut grass, and the passing of time and the advancement of technology (all while M. struggles to find his words). Implicit in the passage is the whiff of nostalgia that always seems to occupy Bond, identifying him as a romantic at heart.

Yet, this passage indicates that Bond is not wholly romantic. He is also analytical, capable of cool, dispassionate observation. He reads people without being read himself. Here, he is reading M. And guessing that M. has a unique job for him -- something personal, because, after all, M has called Bond by his first name James instead of by his official name, 007. This personal touch indicates to Bond that this job will be something far different from the official line.

And indeed it is. M wants Bond to avenge the death of a pair of personal friends by protecting their surviving daughter Judy. This is revealed later, but in the passage, James is on the right track when he reads M's body language and assumes that trouble ("Pandora's box") is about to be opened for him.

Again, the reader finds Bond in an attitude of repose and idleness. It is fitting, however, for this man of espionage to be at rest when first approached in the story. He is capable of acting, as the story will show, but for now the reader is happy to find Bond thoughtful, meditative, calm, and reflective. Bond is shown as human, a man with thoughts and memories -- but he is not sentimentalized. Bond remains detached from his surroundings, from the memories that pursue him through recollections, from the odd behavior of M (although it is intriguing). This is the transmedia Bond that fans know so well: among us, yet separate; a participant in life, but also isolated from it by his ability to transcend it, read it, and shape its outcomes.