"Ausable did not fit any description of a secret agent Fowler had ever read." What do secret agents in books and films look like, in your opinion? Discuss in groups or in class some stories or movies featuring spies, detectives and secret agents, and compare their appearance with that of Ausable in this story. (You may mention characters from fiction in languages other than English. In English fiction you may have come across Sherlock Holmes, Hercule Poirot, or Miss Marple. Have you watched any movies featuring James Bond?)
Secret agents in books and films are typically portrayed as mysterious figures who live lives full of romantic adventures. They are expected to encounter the crack of pistols, drugs in the wine, and have messages slipped into their hands by dark-eyed beauties. They are usually imagined as sleek, agile, and menacing individuals who deal in espionage and danger.
In stark contrast, Ausable does not fit this thrilling description at all. He is described as being fat, very fat, and sloppy in his appearance. Rather than being mysterious or menacing, he appears quite prosaic and ordinary. He speaks with an American accent and wheezes heavily, completely lacking the sharp physical attributes one expects from a spy.
While a typical secret agent might be slender and threatening, Ausable's rival Max fits this slightly better with his crafty, pointed countenance of a fox. Yet, even Max is noted to have nothing especially menacing about him aside from his gun.
Ultimately, Ausable breaks the stereotype of a conventional spy. Despite his sloppy and fat appearance, he proves to be highly intelligent and resourceful, easily outwitting Max. This shows that a real secret agent does not need to look like the romantic figures of fiction to be effective.
Explanation
The question asks students to contrast the typical fictional image of a spy with Ausable's reality. Using only the provided text, Fowler's expectations of a spy involve 'mysterious figures', 'crack of pistols', 'drugs in the wine', and 'dark-eyed beauties'. Ausable is the exact opposite: he is 'very fat', 'sloppy', 'prosaic', and 'wheezes'. The text also provides Max as a point of comparison, who has a 'crafty, pointed countenance of a fox' but is still unremarkable without a weapon. The answer highlights this contrast to show how Ausable's brilliance lies in his mind, not his appearance.