Themes in The Da Vinci Code

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Name : Pandya Riva

Rollno:23

Paper: New Literature

Topic: Themes in  TheDa Vinci Code

The Da Vinci code written by Dan Brown and the novel is about investigation or about the search of the secret Holy Grail. The Da Vinci code book one of best work of Dan brown. There are various themes in this novel which are given here,

Themes in The Da Vinci Code:

THE SUBJECTIVITY OF HISTORY

The Da Vinci Code raises the question of whether history books necessarily tell the only truth. The novel is full of reinterpretations of commonly told stories, such as those of Jesus’ life, the pentacle, and the Da Vinci fresco The Last Supper. Brown provides his own explanation of how the Bible was compiled and of the missing gospels. Langdon even interprets the Disney movie The Little Mermaid, recasting it as an attempt by Disney to show the divine femininity that has been lost. All of these retellings are presented as at least partly true.

THE INTELLIGENCE OF WOMEN

Characters in The Da Vinci Code ignore the power of women at their peril. Throughout the novel, Sophie is underestimated. She is able to sneak into the Louvre and give Langdon a secret message, saving him from arrest, because Fache does not believe her to be capable of doing her job. Fache specifically calls Sophie a “female cryptologist” when he is expressing his doubts about Sophie and Langdon’s ability to evade Interpol. When interpreting one of the clues hidden in the rose box, Langdon and Teabing leave Sophie out, completely patronizing her. When she is finally allowed to see the clue, she immediately understands how to interpret it. Sophie saves Langdon from arrest countless times.

Other women are similarly underestimated. Sister Sandrine, in the Church of Saint-Sulpice, is a sentry for the Brotherhood, but Silas, indoctrinated in the hypermasculine ways of Opus Dei, does not consider her a threat. And Marie Chauvel, Sophie’s grandmother, manages to live without incident near Rosslyn Chapel for years, preserving her bloodline through Sophie’s brother.

The Subjectivity of Truth

As the thriller elements of the narrative unfold and find Langdon and Sophie being chased around the globe in pursuit of the elusive truth of the Holy Grail, they uncover a greater mystery that enhances the novel’s thematic concern with truth. In light of the controversy over the novel itself being accused of playing fast and loose with the facts, this is one theme that managed to leap off the pages and into the zeitgeist of the book’s ascension to the best seller heaven. The search for the Holy Grail ultimately hangs on an increasingly troubling series of revelations about the historical narrative of the spread of Christianity. These revelations have the effect of challenging the faith of those who have entrusted their very spiritual being upon commonly held convictions which the protagonist slowly reveal to be everything from simple misconceptions to sinister fictions engineered for the purpose of controlling the masses.

The Power of Metaphor

Langdon hints that the secret that is uncovered about the true form and existence of the Holy Grail might be better left unmentioned by the forward thrust of progress. The mystery and aura surrounding that mystery has for millennia allowed the Grail to be whatever believers make of it. The suggestion here is that faith is stronger the farther way from facts it remains situated. Coincident with this ideological view is an valid explanation for why so many of those who put their faith in the Holy Bible do so on the condition that every word is literal. When Langdon ponders over the wisdom of introducing facts into the equation by which faith arrives at truth, he is also calling into question whether such faith remains as strong and steadfast if stories and events presented as historical fact in the Bible are viewed merely as metaphor for the purpose of enlightening a larger truth. The question boils down to whether metaphor is invested with the same power to guide and condition faith as literal fact.

Feminism v. Patriarchy

Lying at the heart of the pursuit that is the centerpiece of The DaVinci Code is the historical oppression and persecution of women by the Catholic Church in particular and Christianity as a whole. What begins as the latest quest for the Holy Grail transforms into a pursuit of the Sacred Feminine as the secret history of the Catholic Church is revealed to be one with an overarching agenda to maintain the patriarchy and ensure continued dominion of men over women. Underlying this thematic consideration is assertion that the religion established in the name of Jesus Christ subverts the intention and the foundation of the beliefs of its very founder.

Art as Secret History

The protagonist of The DaVinci Code is a member of law enforcement or religion or an intelligence agency or even a traditional historian. Robert Langdon is a professor of symbology, meaning his day job is teaching the study of symbols as key to unlocking concealed knowledge. The thematic concern that drives the actual events of the narrative is the continual and consistent revelation of how art has been used throughout history by the oppressed as a means of transmitting knowledge in a way that attempts to escape detection and punishment. Langdon focuses especially on the iconoclastic art of the Renaissance which is dominated by extraordinary works that seem merely to depict figures and events form the Bible, it is eventually demonstrated that many of these works of art actually contain hidden symbols and messages, often messages that serve as ironic contradiction of the apparent intent. While Langdon is primarily guided by paintings and sculptures, the secret history of art can likewise be detected in everything from the works of Shakespeare to architectural and fashion design.

“Mystery and Wonderment That Serve Our Souls”

The major theme of this novel is expressed in a quotation by Marie Chauvel in the resolution. In this novel people believe in things, or are inspired by things, which cannot be proven true. Langdon remembers this when he looks at his Mickey Mouse watch. Similarly, people must rely on their faith in religion or faith that the Grail exists. The mystery and wonderment produced by these facets of their lives are more important than the real facts.

The Sacred Feminine

On one level, the main characters in this novel are discussing and searching for symbolic representations of the sacred feminine. However, on another, more subtle, level Brown portrays women’s power. Through Sophie Neveu, Brown illustrates an intelligent and capable woman. Moreover, Sophie frequently makes decisions based on a sixth sense not bestowed upon the male characters which Brown calls women’s intuition. Sophie’s feminine power is reinforced by the many stories told of ancient reverence for women as life-givers as well as the prominent status of Mary Magdalene.

Fanaticism

While this novel promotes faith, it also cautions against pursuing one’s beliefs to the point of fanaticism. Brown offers two examples of characters that become fanatics: Silas and Teabing. Silas is a religious fanatic. He allows his desire to please God and act on behalf of the Church to cloud his judgment. Silas is willing to murder as long as he believes he is supporting the Church.

Similarly, Lee Teabing believes so strongly in finding and revealing the Sangreal documents that he is willing to murder for his cause. While each of these men fanatically supports diametrically opposed agendas, they both come to believe that the ends justify the means. Brown seems to admonish this behavior because neither fanatical character is successful.