Ian Fleming’s Casino Royale is the first novel in the James Bond series. Writen in the mid 50’s, Flemming manages to turn some of the Cold War drama into an interesting spy drama. The main character, James Bond, is a man’s man; the ideal male figure of the time: Handsome, bold, athletic, smart, and dutiful. Whats more, he lives the ideal existence: boldly serving his government, trumping huge threats to his people and the world, driving amazing cars, using interesting gadgets, and most importantly, bedding gorgeous women. To any other man, James Bond would seem like a godly character that they could only strive to, but such characters are not created to cause envy, rather they are used to escape.
Men of the 50’s had a certain stigma attached to them; Almost all were expected to be hard working pillars of the home, dedicated to serving their respective countries, and serve as well rounded members of society. Such expectations surely lead to mundane and uneventful lives. James Bond, however, was nowhere near this. Bond spent his days gambling in casinos, fraternizing with lovely women, and taking down threats to his people. By reading James Bond, modern British and American men could fantasize about being that ideal man, living an exciting life rather than their average everyday life. Reading about Bond put men in his position of power, able to do anything he pleased so long as he gets the job done in the end. Romantically, both Bond and ordinary men view women in the same light: Irrational nuisances who only get in the way when it comes to work. Women are viewed only as objects of desire.
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