Edification

The past week has introduced me to two phenomena: James Bond and vampires. The former in Quantum of Solace, the latter in I Am Legend.

James Bond, supposedly fighting on the side of truth and justice, appears to be on his own side, with his own agenda, using his own methods. His methods are brutal, particularly in relation to women, where his modus operandi appears to be use 'em and lose 'em. This callous treatment of women is disturbing. It may be the way of the world, but it need not be glorified. I felt shamed and devalued as a woman while watching Quantum of Solace.

I Am Legend is my first taste of vampire literature. Well written, it did not overemphasize with superfluous adjectives the horror of the walking dead. I am still thinking about the end, where the protagonist is exterminated as a threat to the new society, a horrible legend of the past. His role was reversed with the vampires': morality was contingent on power.