Mirror Imagery / Parallel Existences

There are several examples of parallels between characters, incidents and situations in The Man with the Golden Gun. First and foremost are the parallels between Bond and Scaramanga. Both men are killers, both men are excellent shots, and both men are regarded highly by those who make use of their skills. It might not, in fact, be going too far to suggest that they are both men with golden guns—Scaramanga's gun is literally gold (or gold plated), but Bond's is gold in a metaphorical way, in that his missions always succeed. Perhaps his record is more literally golden than his gun, but the symbolism is nonetheless there. The difference between the two men, as carefully defined in the book, is that Bond has a conscience, where Scaramanga does not.

On a more literal level, the theme of mirror imagery/parallel existences manifests in...