Thinking Activity : The Da Vinci Code

 

   

Brown states on his website that his books are not anti-Christian, though he is on a 'constant spiritual journey' himself, and says that his book The Da Vinci Code is simply "an entertaining story that promotes spiritual discussion and debate" and suggests that the book may be used "as a positive catalyst for introspection and exploration of our faith."

Dan Brown asserts that his books are not anti-Christian, and it is right also because he wants to reveal the facts. He also says that he is on the spiritual journey as he portrays the characters who have faith in the religion. Through the murder mystery he unfolds the factual things about the Christianity. The painting of Leonardo Da Vinci, The Last Supper, which tells about the relation between Jesus and Mary Magdalene. Seemingly it is an entertaining story murder mystery, the puzzle, paintings of Da Vinci. As a part of spiritual discussion Dan Brown attempts to raise the issue of blind faith in religion, people like Bezu Fache, Silas, Bishop Aringarosa, who have faith in Opus dei.

    “Although it is obvious that much of what Brown presented in his novel as absolutely true and accurate is neither of those, some of that material is of course essential to the intrigue, and screenwriter Akiva Goldsman has retained the novel's core, the Grail-related material: the sacred feminine, Mary Magdalene's marriage, the Priory of Sion, certain aspects of Leonardo's art, and so on[1].” How far do you agree with this observation of Norris J. Lacy?
  yes,  Almost most of the elements are true and accurate. To create some effects, intrigue becomes necessary. Which makes this novel more interesting. Same way Akiva Goldsman plays his role wisely by screenwriting. This thing we can find through the mysterious elements.  Moreover,    they have shown factual information related to Mary Magdalene and Holy Grail.



    You have studied ‘Genesis’ (The Bible), ‘The Paradise Lost’ (John Milton) and ‘The Da Vinci Code’ (Dan Brown). Which of the narrative/s seem/s to be truthful? Whose narrative is convincing to the contemporary young mind?


  In Milton Paradise lost this all harms are done to humanity,and in there showing fall is happen in woman character like eve fall is happen and that's why in every cases they blames woman or hate them. In The Da vinci Code one damage is shown for human kind is that at the end when Robert Langdon also becomes blind follower of chritianity, and at the end of Robert found that holy grail means sarcophgus of mary Magdalene he knees down to that sarcophagus of Mary Magdalene.

      What harm has been done to humanity by the biblical narration or that of Milton’s in The Paradise Lose? What sort of damage does narrative like ‘The Vinci Code’ do to humanity?

This is the case with the description of 'Vinci Code' in which the author attempts to open the eyes of religious people who represent the relationship of Jesus Christ. She thinks that sexual worship falls under the frame of the spiritual annals. Everyone is needed to get richness in peace and peace. God is also a human being who needs someone to satisfy his own desires. These thoughts try to awaken all religious people. However, it can be harmful to people who have strong or superstition followers of religion.



     What difference do you see in the portrayal of 'Ophelia' (Kate Winslet) in Kenneth Branagh's Hamlet, 'Elizabeth' (Helena Bonham Carter) in Kenneth Branagh's Mary Shelley's Frankenstein or 'Hester Prynne' (Demi Moore) in Roland Joffé's The Scarlet Letter' or David Yates's 'Harmione Granger' (Emma Watson) in last four Harry Potter films - and 'Sophie Neuve' (Audrey Tautau) in Ron Howard's The Da Vinci Code? How would justify your answer?

  In this book we can see that the women character is presented as an object of man except the character of Hester Prynne. She is the real heroine of novel and the main  male character  is weak here. In all other literary books women character is come after male character. In Da Vinci code also the character of Sophie is more powerful than other male but after that she become dumb character.


 

Do novel / film lead us into critical (deconstructive) thinking about your religion? Can we think of such conspiracy theory about Hindu religious symbols / myths?
 
Yes, these kinds of novel and film leads us into critical thinking. We can find the lose stone about religious theory, there is no proof about the relation between Jesus and Mary Magdalene as they are husband and wife. Chapel do not have code about Mary but it's deaide and the picture of music. As it is in Hindu religion also some ideas about religion which needs to critical thinking. The Ramayana is a myth so it raises the question that it actual or just myth to keep everyone's faith in the religion.

When we do traditional reading of the novel ‘The Da Vinci Code’, Robert Langdon, Professor of Religious Symbology, Harvard University emerges asprotagonist and Sir Leigh Teabing, a British Historian as antagonist. Who will claim the position of protagonist if we do atheist reading of the novel?

         As we all know that historians see the things with a proper evidence. Similarly,  in the Da Vinci Code,  Sir Leigh Teabing remains in the search of an evidence. Who works with scientific temperament and he doesn't believe in any religion,  so we can interpret that what he suggests would be more reliable. Furthermore,  Teabing tries to find real DNA of Jesus and Mary.  So,  we can interpret that he claim the position of protagonist when we look from atheist angle.



     Explain Ann Gray’s three propositions on ‘knowability’ with illustrations from the novel ‘The Da Vinci Code’.

  1) Identifying what is knowable
   2) identifying and acknowledging the relationship of the knower and the known
  3) What is the procedure for ‘knowing’?
 
Firstly, i) deals with the assumption, all the characters claims that they are known something. Sophie Nevue and Robert Langton both are in search of truth. Sophie is in search of the truth of her family, her own identity. ii) Sir Leigh Teabing and Robert Langton both are in the quest for the truth of Holy Grail. Langdon and Neveu's quest for the truth is rewarded when Langdon learns the location and truth about the Holy Grail, and Sophie learns the truth about her family and heritage. iii) Sir Leigh Teabing known about the greed of Aringarosa whereas Langdon and Sophie has pure intentions. So, there is matter of knowability one can not claim that whatever  known is truth.