Title: In The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown, cryptologist Sophie Neveu and Robert Langdon, professor of symbology, embark on a mission to discover Neveu's past and many hidden truths. . The title of the book has a literal meaning; The works of Leonardo da Vinci reveal clues throughout the novel. The title of the book refers to the works of Leonardo da Vinci: The Mona Lisa, The Last Supper and The Madonna of the Rocks. The symbols presented in the works of Leonardo da Vinci are significant but veiled. Art therefore represents a coding that the protagonists must decipher to find the meaning of the Holy Grail and what it possesses. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”?Get the original essayCharacters: The main characters in the story are Robert Langdon, Sophie Neveu, and Leigh Teabing. Robert Langdon is one of the main protagonists; he is of American origin and is around forty. Langdon is a professor of symbology at Harvard University, his main strength is academic; it is gifted with symbolism and religious history. Regardless of Langdon's clumsiness, he is a very trustworthy companion: "My husband obviously trusted you, Mr. Langdon, so do I." (p. 442) Sophia Neveu plays the role of another protagonist; she is a cryptologist at the French Judicial Police. Throughout the story, she works with Langdon to uncover the secrets of her grandfather's past. She is young, attractive, quick-witted, lively and compassionate. “Slowly, she opened her eyes and turned towards him. Her face looked beautiful in the moonlight. (p. 448) Langdon and Neveu serve the author's purpose of representing the balance between masculine and feminine strengths, so they both complement each other as the role of the protagonist. The main antagonist of the story is Leigh Teabing. Teabing is an English knight passionate about the study of the Holy Grail. Seeming above all loyal, he acts as an ally of Langdon and Neveu in their quest for the Holy Grail. The book takes a turn at the very end by revealing that he is the mastermind of the murder of Jacques Saunière and the events that follow; “Langdon could not imagine that Leigh Teabing would be capable of killing them in cold blood…yet Teabing had certainly been involved in the murder of others” (p. 409). Even though Langdon and Teabing were associated for a very long time, he proved to be disloyal and selfish. Context: Brown's novel The Da Vinci Code begins at the Louvre Museum in France, where a member of Opus Dei assassinates Jacques Saunière, master of the Priory of Sion. The story takes place in the general areas of France and London, but the setting is constantly changing as the novel takes place in the omniscient third person. The overall atmosphere of the story is mysterious and action-packed; the third-person omniscient point of view allows the reader to understand the feelings of all the characters involved. When Langdon and Neveu are at Château Villette, Teabing's private residence, Dan Brown contrasts the setting with events taking place at the Zurich Depositary Bank. In the residence, Langdon, Neveu and their supposed ally, Teabing, discuss the secrets of the Holy Grail and the church; the ambiance is comfortable and private. On the contrary, events at the bank are eventful; the police try to decipher where Langdon and Neveu are hiding. The constant change in atmosphere allows the reader to examine the situation from both perspectives but at roughly the same time. The setting of a story allows the reader to make inferences about the events that will occur and the character's feelings. When a decor isambiguous, the atmosphere tenses around the character; as a result, the reader can often infer a change in events. The setting of this story makes the events more exciting and action-packed. Structure and plot: The novel is written in the third person omniscient; therefore, the reader knows the thoughts and actions of all the characters in the story. Because the story describes the thoughts of different characters, the reader is not limited to a single plot, but to a branch of events related to one topic. Brown also applies foreshadowing in the narrative. When Teabing says: “I apologize if I insist, Miss Nephew. Obviously I always thought these documents should be made public, but ultimately the decision is yours. (p. 295) This excerpt from Teabing later reveals his desperation to reveal the secret at the end of the novel, which results in betrayal. The novel begins at 10:46 p.m. at the Louvre Museum, where an Opus Dei monk assassinates Jacques Saunière, head of the Priory of Sion and Neveu's grandfather. Immediately, the authorities contacted Langdon, but Agent Neveu warned him of the danger of arrest; they escape and little by little decipher the mysteries of the Priory of Sion. In the middle of the story, they manage to find the "keystone" which will also reveal to them the location of the Holy Grail. In London, Teabing, who was originally allied with Langdon, admits his plan with the Grail and the murder of Saunière. Eventually, when the case is solved, Neveu and Langdon discover that she is a descendant of the Grail, and they discover the secrets of the Priory of Sion. The sequence of events gradually twists at the end, allowing the plot to be more exciting. Theme: Faith and Religion - Every religion in the world depends on metaphors and things that cannot be explained, but faith is the acceptance of things that cannot be proven. Langdon expresses this belief when he says: “Every religion describes God through metaphors, allegories, and exaggerations…Metaphors are a way of helping our minds process the intractable. “(p. 341) Langdon is not necessarily opposed to any religion, he believes that each church has the right to believe what they need to believe to become better people; “those who truly understand their faith understand that stories are metaphorical” (p. 342). The metaphor involved in all faith allows people to understand the Bible and apply it to their own lives. Tone: Brown's attitude toward the novel is suspenseful. Dan Brown made the narrator anonymous and omniscient in the third person, so the story constantly changes into different solar plots; therefore, the chapters are very short and sacrifice detail. The novel begins with the murder of Jacques Saunière: “Grimacing with pain, he called upon all his faculties and all his strength. The desperate task before him, he knew, would demand every remaining second of his life. (p. 5) Because the novel begins with tragedy, the events following the murder are full of suspense. Brown also uses many symbols in the novel, including the pentagram, the Holy Grail, and the chalice. These objects have religious meanings and are often controversial. The tension between the different points of view in the religious debate creates an atmosphere of suspense around the characters. Literary Devices: "Should we wave a flag and tell Buddhists that we have proof that the Buddha did not come from a lotus flower?" Or that Jesus was not born a literal virgin birth? Those who truly understand their faith understand that stories are metaphorical. (p. 342) Symbolism is the use of an object, person, place, or action that has both.