Bond girls and the gender stereotype : women's portrayal, representation and gender stereotypes in the James Bond films

Abstract

With the introduction of the Visual Medium, women became more susceptible to the already attributed stereotypical roles; the mother, the seductress, the home maker, the less intelligent, weaker being or simply the 'Other'. Ian Fleming's 'James Bond', went from Television Series to Movie Theatres and after 20 sequels remains one of the biggest box office sellers of all time. Without a doubt one can attribute the success that these Bond Films enjoy to, non stop action, impressive hi-tech gadgets, dangerous stunts, Bond's dashing good looks and last but not least the 'ever so vital to the plot' Bond Girls. This dissertation aims to investigate the portrayal of these women throughout the years, as they submissively take on stereotypical roles and in their brief moments of triumph as the powerful, determined opposite sex. The investigation on stereotypes and women's portrayal will be obtained by implementing a qualitative semiotic analysis to allow a subjective study and interpretation of their meanings.