James Bond course opens at Northern Illinois University
25-Apr-2008 • Bond News
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According to the syllabus, the class hopes to help students distinguish where fantasy ends and ideology begins in the world of Bond. The courseâs instructor, Christoph Lindner, assistant professor of film and literature, said the use of Bond can highlight other aspects of society,
âThe goal is to use the study of James Bond as a way of better understanding the trends and developments in society in the last 50 years,â Lindner said.
Lindner said students examine a variety of different material such as the Ian Fleming novels, as well as Bond films, music, Web sites, art and spoofs. Lindner believes Bond material provides commentary on complex issues such as the Cold War, the rise of feminism and the collapse of the Soviet Union. In addition, students learn the influence of Bond on the spy thriller genre.
The class examines homage and parody, as well as the âJames Bondâ formula, Lindner said.
Lindner urges students to take the class, and believes they will get a lot out of it.
âItâs going to be easy and fun, but theyâll think long and hard,â Lindner said.
John Austin, senior political science major, said the class also examines stereotypes such as sexism and racism throughout the novels and the way they changed during films. Austin encouraged students to enroll in the class.
âDefinitely sign up; its worth it,â Austin said.
Austin said the class appealed to him especially in his senior year.
âI thought, might as well take something fun, and it seemed interesting to me,â Austin said.
Robert Ullrich, senior history major, enjoys examining pop culture, and looks forward to the class. Ullrich said it is not a blow-off class since it requires analysis.
Ullrich believes the class is different than his others.
âItâs a little more light-hearted than most of my classes,â Ullrich said.
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