This was a difficult assignment and I’m not sure I’ve
interpreted it correctly.
Wilder
Lawless, Uncle Max, Aunt Charmian, Red Kelly: What is
their function in the narrative and what is their relationship to young Bond?
Wilder
Lawless: James first spotted her at the circus and he was
amazed by the vivid emerald colour. The next
time they met was when Red and James were walking in the countryside finding
their way to Silverfin. She was riding and James was impressed by the way she
handled the horse as if girls in general can’t handle horses that well. When
she had left them Red talked about her looks and how she had given him the eye,
obviously finding her very attractive but James seemed not to be interested in
her like that at all. He was impressed by her horsemanship but when she later,
at another of their meetings, suggested that the three of them would make a
good team investigating what Hellebore was up to James said “but you’re a girl”
and “this is a man’s work.” Wilder proved him wrong wrestling him down and he had
to admit she wasn’t like other girls.
First I thought the author meant to bring in some
romance but I take it that he uses Wilder to teach James and the readers one or
two things about women. Wilder is not only beautiful but smart, strong and brave.
Aunt
Charmian: When James came to spend the holiday with his
aunt and uncle aunt Charmian picked him up
at the station in her own car which was “a heavy, four-and-a half-litre,
four-cylinder supercharged Bentley four-seater sports car and James was deeply
impressed. Later when James had taken some driving lessons with Max he realized
what an expert driver Aunt Charmian was. Apart from this Aunt Charmian was the good
woman nursing her ill brother and taking care of the household.
Uncle Max:
He is a stand in for James’s father who made him feel safe and protected when
he was a child. Even when very old and ill he tried to play that part teaching
James to drive and going fishing with him.
Red Kelly: A
street smart boy, fearless and full of energy, James’s sidekick. James hasn’t
really got any friends until Red shows up. There are of course a few boys at
Eton like the Indian boy Pritbal but I get the feeling that the only thing they
have in common is being bullied by the older boys.
It seems like aunt Charmian is quite critical towards the British Empire. Uncle Max on the other hand seems proud about the Empire and finds it important to show James the museum about the British Empire. Max worked as a spy during the First World War. He got caught by the Germans, was tortured but managed to escape. James’ father also fought for his country. He became a sailor for the British marine fighting many hard battles. He managed to survive the war and later he started working for a company selling weapons.
SvaraRaderaA real man should hereby be loyal and serve his country. He must be courageous and brave and fight for what is right. I beliee this is something Max tries to convince James of by telling his story which he has never told anyone else before.
I think Bond is finding a father figure in Max. James has really missed his father, not only after the death, but even before as James' father was pretty absent and didn't spend much time with him. Therefore Max has an enormous impact on James, James sucks in everything he says and does.
SvaraRaderaEverything Max tells, teaches or gives James, comes in handy for James to use. Max even saves James on his death bed calling out James' name.
Max treats James as an adult.
Another one who treats James as an adult is aunty Chairman. She also globalize Max, gives him human values. She brings the world in to her house.
Red Kelly is showing us the sterotyped working class behaviour, by speeking cookney, drinks beer, although he is a minor, is poorly dressed for their adventure, finds it hard to adapt and to appriciate nature, gives up easily although it is his cousin they are looking for. Further he talks about women like a grown up.
We also get the sterotyped picture of the Irish, drinking a lot and singing songs about their beloved country. Being ginger.
Red Kelly is however to some use for young bond as he teaches him one or two tricks from his life on the street. It is Red Kelly who teaches James to hide the knife in his sole.
Wilder Lawless is helping James growing up. It seems as it is his first time he takes interest in a girl, and it is not until in the end of the novel. Wilder shows him that she is equal or even superior to James.
In my opinion Oncle Max, Aunty Chairman and Red Kelly are forming Bond in a way that we are very familiar with. One can see how it is within James' veins to seek for adventures, to help saving the world, the way he has this feeling in his chest the night before going up to Hellabore's castle.
What doesn't fit in is the way James Bond sees women. I wonder what happens in the other young Bond books, what is going wrong? Why is Bond treating women the way he does in his future life?
Or, is Bond's way of never keeping a woman an answer to the way his mother lead her life? He knows he can't give up his life as a spy. Is that why he does not want to tie up with a woman, to set children to the world, because he knows he cannot look after wife and children properly?
Is Higson giving us the background to the way James Bond treats women?
If comparing the young Bond with the adult Bond it feels like the character of young Bond is toned down. In Silverfin Bond gives his opinion about ordinary girls with curls and fine dresses: he finds them too girlish. He rather prefers a girl like Wilder Lawless.
SvaraRaderaOn the other hand, when getting older he really looks for a typical good looking woman. I haven’t seen so many Bond films, but doesn’t he sometimes be properly taken by women just because he can’t say no to them? He gets himself into trouble because of the women, which also indicates “you can’t trust women- they will only get you into trouble” but also that they are smart and brave. Or?
You have a good point why Bond don't want to start a family life. He might just be too influenced by Max and his father working as secret agents, living adventorous lives. But who wants to end up like Max, alone without an own family? He has Bond and Charmain, but he hasn't got his own wife or children.
Interesting points on the different persons involved with James in Silverfin. I feel that James hardly trusts anyone with his feelings. I believe that Aunt Charmian is the one person that he is a bit more vulneralbe with.
SvaraRaderaPerhaps it has someting to do with the death of his parents?
Wilder and Charmian are, as minor characters and women, important in Silverfin. I really agree with all of you that they are smart,strong and brave women but still as M Hourihan writes about women in hero stories "they are designed to serve" often "as devoted assistants" and "they only appears in relation to the hero" I think this is also true facts about Wilder and Charmian in Silverfin
SvaraRadera