Discussion questions for Ian Fleming’s Goldfinger
July 29th, 2011
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There are a few overarching questions for the whole novel that I’d like you to bear in mind as you read:
- Who is James Bond, and what is James Bond? He is, on the one hand, an individual who is capable of affecting, for good or for ill, large scale economies. How is his interest opposed to or in harmony with that of the general interest?
- What is the general interest? And what competing interests are portrayed in the novel?
- What connections exist between Bond and Goldfinger?
But I’ll also be posting questions for each specific section, so here are the questions for Tuesday, and the section titled “Part 1: Happenstance.”
1. We’ve just spent a couple of days reading Marx, and thinking about ideology — the sense of what is normal, what is good and bad, that is woven into everyday life. The first two chapters, in particular, provide you with a glimpse of the ideology that James Bond lives with, his view of the world. How would you describe it? I’m interested in your interpretations of his views in general, and specifically in regards to money, wealth, and economics.
2. Why is it that Bond gets involved in the heroin import and export scam?
3. How is Goldfinger characterized when we first meet him? Which of his behaviors mark him as a potential villain? Both he and Mr. Du Pont are rich — what things distinguish them from one another?
4. Throughout this novel, you’re going to see problems that are dealt with through the law, and through alternative methods. What’s your response to Bond’s method of handling Du Pont’s problem? How might it be said to be the right thing to do? Or the wrong thing?
5. In your own words, how would you describe the economic problem that Bond learns about in Chapter 6? Do you see any connections or contrasts with ideas from other texts that we’ve read this quarter?
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