Bond Novels | Ian Fleming | Fleming Essays | The Literary Bond

Commander James Bond is a Senior Operational Officer stationed at MI6 HQ, London.

Bond is an ageless character. Born in Central Europe, Bond grew up in Switzerland and Germany untill the age of 11.

At the age of 11, Bond suffered the loss of both parents in a climbing accident while attempting to scale north-east ridge of the Aiguille de la Persévérance (in Chamonix). This event had a profound impact. In his later teens, Bond lost his one surviving close relative, his aunt Charmain Bond. Like most who lose parents in their youth, Bond has abandonment issues. He rarely makes long-lasting relationships with men or women. He professes to have never fallen in love. He maintains no friendships from before his parents' death and only the most irregular contact with friends from his late teens

Bond's one strong relationship with an adult from his teens and early twenties ' one Hannes Oberhauser of Kitzbühel, Austria ' ended when Oberhauser disappeared mysteriously. Bond has referred to Oberhauser as a second father.

Bond then moved to Kent, England, where he lived with his aunt.

He eventually attended Eton untill he was 13 because he was expelled for repeated curfew violations and 'trouble' with one of the maids. Bond then attended Fettes where he won numerous athletic competitions, twice boxed for the school as a light weight and formed the first intermural judo league for the public school circuit.

At the age of 17 he joined the Royal Navy, studying at the Britannia Royal Naval College. Bond excelled in all

Bond in his Early Years

areas of training and he seemed to come into his own upon his entrance into the service. Bond matriculated from his coursework at BRNC with passable marks, however, whilst excelling at athletic competitions, strategic operations,and counter-intelligence courses, but his unconventional approach to his education, his diffident attitude to certain of his superiors, and a lack of respect for curfew drew him many demerits. On more than one occasion, a fellow candidate was strongly suspected of lying to protect Bond from punishment.

After excelling in the royal navy as a commander, James Bond was recruited by the Intelligence Service. After becoming an Agent, he was given the 007 status after two assasinations.

Bond enjoys pushing himself to he limit, both mentally and physically. Bond's stress levels actually drop when the stakes are higher. He is prone to boredom and mild depression when not challenged. Bond enjoys drinking and gambling, although the former seems to be a way for him to test his personal limits at times rather than a vice. Bond has been known to gamble more than he can afford to lose, although he always gambles with a plan and a clear understanding of the odds.

Bond is goal-oriented, but he often seeks these goals in an indirect and secretive way. He has kept many areas of his life meticulously compartmentalized, never allowing the emotional issues from the loss of his family or from relationships to intrude on his professional life. Bond seems to have an emotional and mental need for multiple layers of reality. He thrives when not revealing all of himself, carefully organizing the aspects of his personality he reveals to others. Thus Bond is excellent as burying information he does not wish to reveal, making him a very good security risk if questioned under almost any circumstance.

Bond seeks structure in his life. He is a man of pattern and habit. He has acquired strong tastes. This is a potential security risk. Bond both thrives under structure yet finds subtle ways of rebelling against it. He is not self-destructive, but he can be a challenge to his superiors.

Bond uses humor as a shield and a weapon. He is skilled at making cutting remarks that reveal insecurities of others or mock death, danger and risk.

Most importantly, Bond is deeply loyal to institutions. After his parents' death, Bond embraced his British and Scottish roots. His concept of his nationality is a large part of his identity. This is reflected in some of his social attitudes, which seem to embrace a British identity of the not too distant past. When pressed, Bond seems to identify with the notion of helping to 'protect the realm', of 'serving the monarch' and the ideals embodied in the mythic notion of St. George.