James Bond
Bond is the protagonist of his story. He is an elite 00, licensed to kill, special agent for MI6. The best in his field, he is sent to rescue another agent from a dangerous situation in Jamaica. Repeatedly Bond demonstrates his ability to improvise in order to accomplish his mission and to manipulate the people who stand in his way in order to preserve his cover. He's a quick-witted, dominant, experienced spy who will stop at nothing to accomplish his mission.
M
M is Bond's superior at MI6. Not much is known about him personally, except that he greatly respects Bond. In Dr. No, M is in the curious position of needing to punish Bond, though perhaps he doesn't really believe he's doing the right thing. Because Bond behaved recklessly on his previous assignment in From Russia, with Love, M sends him without his gun on a demeaning rescue mission.
Honeychile "Honey" Rider
Described as a beautiful leggy blond, Honey is your typical Bond bombshell heroine. Her one flaw is a crooked nose, a permanent reminder of the time she was raped. She bears emotional scars as well, which Bond is in a position to either help heal or permanently etch into her spirit. Without a soul to attach herself to, Honey is independent, if somewhat naive. She falls for Dr. No's trick for the natives, believing the island is really inhabited by a dangerous fire-breathing dragon.
Dr. No.
Dr. No is the antagonist of the book. He is an imposing figure, standing over six and a half feet tall. His absent hands have been replaced with steel claws, bulky and awkward but very strong. Typical of Bond villains, No is a lonely, sadistic, evil genius who devises elaborate schemes bent on gaining wealth and power. He is compensating for his own lacking sense of worth by trying to achieve greatness by taking power and wealth from those who've made him feel inferior, namely the British government.
Quarrel
Quarrel is the native Jamaican who befriends and helps Bond on his mission. He is portrayed in a racist, insulting light as a simple, fundamentally inferior person to Bond because of his ancestry. Where Bond is the hero who rides in to save the day, Quarrel is the well-meaning fool who just manages to stay out of Bond's way. He is a cheerful, generous soul who genuinely wants to help Bond and do good.
