It would seem that my ponderings have turned up something genuinely interesting for once. Today, in the shower, I was once again thinking about Happy and Glorious and about how it is quite unambiguous evidence that James Bond has a major position in uk culture. That made me wonder whether any other fictional character in any other country has a similar position. If the meeting of bond and the queen in 2012 brought together two of the biggest symbols of Britain, might other such combinations be possible? Once dry and dressed, I tweeted: ”Does any other character in any other country have the same cultural position as 007 has in the UK?” And the response turned up something far more interesting than Bond.

My friend John replied. He’s apparently currently in Palestine, and there they have a cartoon character called Handala. Handala is ten, and. as explained here, is a kind of symbol for the Palestinian refugees, embodying their plight: ”From approximately 1975 through 1987 Naji Al-Ali created cartoons that depict the complexities of the plight of Palestinian refugees. These cartoons are still relevant today and Handala, the refugee child who is present in every cartoon, remains a potent symbol of the struggle of the Palestinian people for justice and self-determination.” For a student of culture, this certainly warrants further research. It might not have been quite what I was thinking of in the shower, but this figure is the fictional symbol of one of the most persecute communities on earth, offering an enlightening perspective on a complex, troubling situation – I find that fascinating. Looking into this seems promising; time to do some Googling.