Vivienne Michel
Encyclopedia
Vivienne "Viv" Michel is the main fictional character in Ian Fleming
's James Bond
novel The Spy Who Loved Me. She has not appeared as a character in a James Bond film, as Danjaq
, the copyright holder to the characters, elements, and other material related to James Bond on screen agreed never to use the novel as the basis for a film (only the title).
Viv is the only Bond girl
to tell her story in her own words, and the only character in the Fleming canon
to have written a first-person account of one of Bond's adventures. The novel purports to be a manuscript written by Vivienne and delivered to Fleming for publication. As a result, the fictional Michel receives co-author credit on Fleming's novel. She is, therefore, a pseudonym of Fleming's in addition to being a character.
, but at the age of 16 is sent by her aunt to a finishing school in England, where a year later she meets a young man named Derek Mallaby, losing her virginity
to him before he brushes her off. She eventually becomes an editorial assistant in London, for a news agency based in West Germany
, becoming romantically and sexually involved with her German supervisor, Kurt Rainer. Rainer puts her in touch with a gynecologist who prescribes birth control
for Viv, but these precautions fail and Viv becomes pregnant. Rainer, too, dumps her. Viv flies to Zurich
at Rainer's expense where she has an abortion
, and then, to forget the past, she returns to North America and begins a long tour down the east coast on a Vespa
motor scooter.
As the novel begins, she has taken a job closing up an isolated and struggling seasonal motel
in the country near Lake George.
The night before she is to finish closing, two men posing as insurance representatives appear; once she lets them in, they effectively take her hostage, abusing her when she shows resistance. Then James Bond, traveling by car from Albany to Washington, arrives to claim a room, having suffered a flat tire a mile away from the motel. Upon opening the door, Viv is struck by his deadly quality and thinks to herself "Oh, God, it's another of them." But she soon realizes that Bond is some sort of government agent.
Bond identifies the two intruders as probable former convict
s and sets about protecting Viv. During the night, the convicts set fire to the motel, and it becomes clear that the arson--and Viv's planned death--are to be part of an insurance scam. Bond battles the thugs while simultaneously trying to defend Viv. Having presumably killed both criminals, he retires to one of the remaining undamaged motel cabins, and Viv chooses to stay with him rather than have her own cabin.
Viv provides a self-deprecating description of herself as an attractive woman, with a height of 5'6", dark brown and naturally wavy hair, blue eyes, a generous figure, a small nose, and a wide mouth that makes her look sexy even when she doesn't wish to. Bond obviously finds her attractive, showering with her and then having sex with her.
Although Bond is famous for his sexual exploits (among other things), Fleming actually provides almost no detail of lovemaking in his novels. The accounts by Viv, in a chapter entitled "Bimbo," are nearly the only ones, and they reveal a good bit about Fleming's and his generations' views of gender relations
. The first account is limited to the general statements that Bond's lovemaking is "slow and electric" and "tenderly fierce," that Bond is on top
, and that Viv has an orgasm
. Afterwards, however, she reflects that "all women love semi-rape," which she explains is why she found the "sweet brutality" of Bond's lovemaking so exciting. She understands that Bond has claimed her as a sort of reward for rescuing her; she accepts that and decides that she will not pursue him or make more of the relationship than it was. Later, the couple are awakened from sleep by the sound of crashing glass; one of the thugs, badly wounded, has managed to escape from his wrecked car and drag himself to the cabin window, through which he aims a gun at Bond and Viv's bed. Viv, awakening, screams. Awakened by the scream and the smashing glass, Bond shoots and kills the thug. Bond and Viv then have sex again; this time, Viv describes Bond as making love to her "fiercely, almost cruelly," in a side-by-side position, with her again having an orgasm.
When Viv awakens, Bond has gone, having written her a long note written "with a real pen and not a ball point" (presumably meaning a fountain pen
). In it Bond tells her that he has left to contact the police; he advises her to try not to have nightmares about the terrible experiences she had just lived through ("These sort of things don't often happen. Treat it all as just a bad motor accident you were lucky to get out of.") He closes with telling her how she may get in touch with him if she ever needs him, but he clearly does not intend it as an invitation to continue their relationship, and Viv does not take it as such. A fatherly police captain, perceiving that Viv has had sex with Bond, gently warns her to "Keep away from all these men. They are not for you, whether they're called James Bond or Sluggsy Morant [one of the two thugs]." Upon hearing this warning, Viv recalls her first reaction upon seeing Bond, but she also recalls the sweetness of their lovemaking. "The scars of my terror," she writes at the conclusion of the book, "had been healed, wiped away, by this stranger who slept with a gun under his pillow, this secret agent who was only known by a number." Told that she would likely receive a reward from the insurance company for helping to frustrate the arsonists' plans, Viv resumes her trek down the coast, Bond's rescue of her "written on [her] heart forever."
Viv possesses some unusual aspects for a Bond Girl; having a rather ordinary name, unlike most other Bond Girls, she is also one of the few Bond Girls not to be somehow involved in intelligence affairs or criminal enterprises. As such, she is a type of average citizen with whom the reader can identify, who is thrust into the dramatically different world of James Bond and his enemies. On the other hand, she is clearly not the "girl next door
" of the mid-twentieth century, given her sexual experience and her abortion. Nevertheless, her character and the fact that she narrates her involvement with Bond make her story one of the most striking of the Bond canon.
Ian Fleming
Ian Lancaster Fleming was a British author, journalist and Naval Intelligence Officer.Fleming is best known for creating the fictional British spy James Bond and for a series of twelve novels and nine short stories about the character, one of the biggest-selling series of fictional books of...
's James Bond
James Bond
James Bond, code name 007, is a fictional character created in 1953 by writer Ian Fleming, who featured him in twelve novels and two short story collections. There have been a six other authors who wrote authorised Bond novels or novelizations after Fleming's death in 1964: Kingsley Amis,...
novel The Spy Who Loved Me. She has not appeared as a character in a James Bond film, as Danjaq
Danjaq
Danjaq, LLC is the holding company responsible for the copyright and trademarks to the characters, elements, and other material related to James Bond on screen. It is currently owned and managed by the family of Albert R. Broccoli, the co-initiator of the popular film franchise...
, the copyright holder to the characters, elements, and other material related to James Bond on screen agreed never to use the novel as the basis for a film (only the title).
Viv is the only Bond girl
Bond girl
A Bond girl is a character or actress portraying a love interest, of James Bond in a film, novel, or video game. They occasionally have names that are double entendres or puns, such as "Pussy Galore", "Plenty O'Toole", "Xenia Onatopp", or "Holly Goodhead"...
to tell her story in her own words, and the only character in the Fleming canon
Canon (fiction)
In the context of a work of fiction, the term canon denotes the material accepted as "official" in a fictional universe's fan base. It is often contrasted with, or used as the basis for, works of fan fiction, which are not considered canonical...
to have written a first-person account of one of Bond's adventures. The novel purports to be a manuscript written by Vivienne and delivered to Fleming for publication. As a result, the fictional Michel receives co-author credit on Fleming's novel. She is, therefore, a pseudonym of Fleming's in addition to being a character.
Novel biography
At the time she meets Bond, Viv is 23 years old. She is originally from Orleans Island near Quebec CityQuebec City
Quebec , also Québec, Quebec City or Québec City is the capital of the Canadian province of Quebec and is located within the Capitale-Nationale region. It is the second most populous city in Quebec after Montreal, which is about to the southwest...
, but at the age of 16 is sent by her aunt to a finishing school in England, where a year later she meets a young man named Derek Mallaby, losing her virginity
Virginity
Virginity refers to the state of a person who has never engaged in sexual intercourse. There are cultural and religious traditions which place special value and significance on this state, especially in the case of unmarried females, associated with notions of personal purity, honor and worth...
to him before he brushes her off. She eventually becomes an editorial assistant in London, for a news agency based in West Germany
West Germany
West Germany is the common English, but not official, name for the Federal Republic of Germany or FRG in the period between its creation in May 1949 to German reunification on 3 October 1990....
, becoming romantically and sexually involved with her German supervisor, Kurt Rainer. Rainer puts her in touch with a gynecologist who prescribes birth control
Birth control
Birth control is an umbrella term for several techniques and methods used to prevent fertilization or to interrupt pregnancy at various stages. Birth control techniques and methods include contraception , contragestion and abortion...
for Viv, but these precautions fail and Viv becomes pregnant. Rainer, too, dumps her. Viv flies to Zurich
Zürich
Zurich is the largest city in Switzerland and the capital of the canton of Zurich. It is located in central Switzerland at the northwestern tip of Lake Zurich...
at Rainer's expense where she has an abortion
Abortion
Abortion is defined as the termination of pregnancy by the removal or expulsion from the uterus of a fetus or embryo prior to viability. An abortion can occur spontaneously, in which case it is usually called a miscarriage, or it can be purposely induced...
, and then, to forget the past, she returns to North America and begins a long tour down the east coast on a Vespa
Vespa
Vespa is an Italian brand of scooter manufactured by Piaggio. The name means wasp in Italian.The Vespa has evolved from a single model motor scooter manufactured in 1946 by Piaggio & Co. S.p.A...
motor scooter.
As the novel begins, she has taken a job closing up an isolated and struggling seasonal motel
Motel
A motor hotel, or motel for short, is a hotel designed for motorists, and usually has a parking area for motor vehicles...
in the country near Lake George.
Lake George (New York)
Lake George, nicknamed the Queen of American Lakes, is a long, narrow oligotrophic lake draining northwards into Lake Champlain and the St. Lawrence River Drainage basin located at the southeast base of the Adirondack Mountains in northern New York, U.S.A.. It lies within the upper region of the...
The night before she is to finish closing, two men posing as insurance representatives appear; once she lets them in, they effectively take her hostage, abusing her when she shows resistance. Then James Bond, traveling by car from Albany to Washington, arrives to claim a room, having suffered a flat tire a mile away from the motel. Upon opening the door, Viv is struck by his deadly quality and thinks to herself "Oh, God, it's another of them." But she soon realizes that Bond is some sort of government agent.
Bond identifies the two intruders as probable former convict
Convict
A convict is "a person found guilty of a crime and sentenced by a court" or "a person serving a sentence in prison", sometimes referred to in slang as simply a "con". Convicts are often called prisoners or inmates. Persons convicted and sentenced to non-custodial sentences often are not termed...
s and sets about protecting Viv. During the night, the convicts set fire to the motel, and it becomes clear that the arson--and Viv's planned death--are to be part of an insurance scam. Bond battles the thugs while simultaneously trying to defend Viv. Having presumably killed both criminals, he retires to one of the remaining undamaged motel cabins, and Viv chooses to stay with him rather than have her own cabin.
Viv provides a self-deprecating description of herself as an attractive woman, with a height of 5'6", dark brown and naturally wavy hair, blue eyes, a generous figure, a small nose, and a wide mouth that makes her look sexy even when she doesn't wish to. Bond obviously finds her attractive, showering with her and then having sex with her.
Although Bond is famous for his sexual exploits (among other things), Fleming actually provides almost no detail of lovemaking in his novels. The accounts by Viv, in a chapter entitled "Bimbo," are nearly the only ones, and they reveal a good bit about Fleming's and his generations' views of gender relations
Gender
Gender is a range of characteristics used to distinguish between males and females, particularly in the cases of men and women and the masculine and feminine attributes assigned to them. Depending on the context, the discriminating characteristics vary from sex to social role to gender identity...
. The first account is limited to the general statements that Bond's lovemaking is "slow and electric" and "tenderly fierce," that Bond is on top
Missionary position
The missionary position is a "man-on-top" sex position usually described as the act in which the woman lies on her back and the partners face each other. Though often acted on and applied by heterosexual pairings, it may also be used by gay and lesbian couples.The missionary position is an example...
, and that Viv has an orgasm
Orgasm
Orgasm is the peak of the plateau phase of the sexual response cycle, characterized by an intense sensation of pleasure...
. Afterwards, however, she reflects that "all women love semi-rape," which she explains is why she found the "sweet brutality" of Bond's lovemaking so exciting. She understands that Bond has claimed her as a sort of reward for rescuing her; she accepts that and decides that she will not pursue him or make more of the relationship than it was. Later, the couple are awakened from sleep by the sound of crashing glass; one of the thugs, badly wounded, has managed to escape from his wrecked car and drag himself to the cabin window, through which he aims a gun at Bond and Viv's bed. Viv, awakening, screams. Awakened by the scream and the smashing glass, Bond shoots and kills the thug. Bond and Viv then have sex again; this time, Viv describes Bond as making love to her "fiercely, almost cruelly," in a side-by-side position, with her again having an orgasm.
When Viv awakens, Bond has gone, having written her a long note written "with a real pen and not a ball point" (presumably meaning a fountain pen
Fountain pen
A fountain pen is a nib pen that, unlike its predecessor the dip pen, contains an internal reservoir of water-based liquid ink. The pen draws ink from the reservoir through a feed to the nib and deposits it on paper via a combination of gravity and capillary action...
). In it Bond tells her that he has left to contact the police; he advises her to try not to have nightmares about the terrible experiences she had just lived through ("These sort of things don't often happen. Treat it all as just a bad motor accident you were lucky to get out of.") He closes with telling her how she may get in touch with him if she ever needs him, but he clearly does not intend it as an invitation to continue their relationship, and Viv does not take it as such. A fatherly police captain, perceiving that Viv has had sex with Bond, gently warns her to "Keep away from all these men. They are not for you, whether they're called James Bond or Sluggsy Morant [one of the two thugs]." Upon hearing this warning, Viv recalls her first reaction upon seeing Bond, but she also recalls the sweetness of their lovemaking. "The scars of my terror," she writes at the conclusion of the book, "had been healed, wiped away, by this stranger who slept with a gun under his pillow, this secret agent who was only known by a number." Told that she would likely receive a reward from the insurance company for helping to frustrate the arsonists' plans, Viv resumes her trek down the coast, Bond's rescue of her "written on [her] heart forever."
Viv possesses some unusual aspects for a Bond Girl; having a rather ordinary name, unlike most other Bond Girls, she is also one of the few Bond Girls not to be somehow involved in intelligence affairs or criminal enterprises. As such, she is a type of average citizen with whom the reader can identify, who is thrust into the dramatically different world of James Bond and his enemies. On the other hand, she is clearly not the "girl next door
Girl next door
The cultural and sexual stereotype of the girl next door or the All-American girl is invoked in American contexts to indicate wholesome, unassuming femininity, as opposed to the culture's other female stereotypes such as the tomboy, the valley girl, the femme fatale, girly girl, or the slut. The...
" of the mid-twentieth century, given her sexual experience and her abortion. Nevertheless, her character and the fact that she narrates her involvement with Bond make her story one of the most striking of the Bond canon.