Title: In Dan Brown's The Da Vinci Code, cryptologist Sophie Neveu and Robert Langdon, a 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; Leonardo Da Vinci's artwork reveals clues throughout the novel. The title of the book refers to Da Vinci's works: The Mona Lisa, The Last Supper and The Madonna of the Rocks. The symbols presented in Da Vinci's artwork are significant but veiled. Therefore, art represents an encoding, which the protagonists must decipher to discover the meaning of the Holy Grail and what it possesses. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay Characters: The main characters in the story are Robert Langdon, Sophie Neveu, and Leigh Teabing. Robert Langdon is one of the main starring roles; He is of American origins and is about forty years old. Langdon is a professor of symbology at Harvard University, his main strength is academic; It comes with religious symbolism and history. Despite his clumsiness, Langdon is a very reliable companion: "My husband obviously trusted you, Mr. Langdon, so I do, too." (p. 442) Sophia Neveu serves as another protagonist; she is a cryptologist for the French Judicial Police. Throughout the story he works with Langdon to uncover the secrets of his grandfather's past. She is young, attractive, witty, lively and compassionate: “Slowly she opened her eyes and turned to him. His face was beautiful in the moonlight. (p. 448) Langdon and Neveu fulfill the author's purpose of representing the balance between male and female forces, so they both complement each other in the protagonist role. The main antagonist of the story is Leigh Teabing. Teabing is an English knight and a devotee of the study of the Holy Grail. Seemingly loyal, he acts as an ally to Langdon and Neveu in their quest for the Holy Grail. The book goes through a turning point at the very end by revealing that he is the mastermind of Jacques Saunière's murder 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 killing of others” (p. 409). Although Langdon and Teabing were long-time partners, he proved to be disloyal and selfish. Setting: Brown's novel The Da Vinci Code begins at the Louvre Museum in France, where a member of Opus Dei kills Jacques Saunière, master of the Priory of Sion. The story is set in the general areas of France and London, but the setting changes constantly because the novel is set in third-person omniscient. 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 the Chateau Villette, Teabing's private residence, Dan Brown compares the setting to the events that occurred in the Zurich Custodian Bank. In the residence, Langdon, Neveu and supposed ally Teabing discuss the secrets of the Holy Grail and the church; the atmosphere is comfortable and private. In contrast, events at the bank are frenetic; the police are trying to decipher where Langdon and Neveu are hiding. The constant change of atmosphere allows the reader to look at the situation from both perspectives but at the same time. The setting of a story allows the reader to make inferences about the events that will happen and the character's feelings. When a setting is ambiguous, the atmosphere around the character becomes more tense; as a result, the reader can often infer a change in theevents. The setting of this story makes the events more exciting and action-packed. Structure and plot: the novel is written in third person omniscient; therefore, the reader knows the thoughts and actions of all of the characters in the story. Since the story portrays the thoughts of different characters, the reader is not limited to a plot, but to a branch of events that relate to a topic. Brown also applies foreshadowing in the narrative. When Teabing says, “I apologize for insisting, Miss Neveu. Clearly I have always believed that 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 10.46pm at the Louvre Museum, where an Opus Dei monk kills Jacques Saunière, head of the Priory of Sion and Neveu's grandfather. The authorities immediately contact Langdon, but Agent Neveu warns him of the danger of arrest; they escape and gradually decipher the mysteries of the Priory of Sion. Halfway through the story they manage to find the “keystone” which will also reveal the location of the Holy Grail. In London, Teabing, originally Langdon's ally, admits his plan with the Grail and the murder of Saunière. Ultimately, when the case is solved, Neveu and Langdon discover that she is a descendant of the Grail, and uncover the secrets of the Priory of Sion. The sequence of events eventually transforms gradually making the plot more compelling. 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 metaphor, allegory, and exaggeration… Metaphors are a way to help our minds process the unprocessable. “(pg. 341) Langdon is not necessarily against any religion, he believes that every church has the right to believe in what it needs to become better people; “those who truly understand their faith understand that stories are metaphorical” (p. 342). The metaphor implied by each faith allows people to understand the Bible and apply it to their lives. Tone: Brown's attitude towards the novel is suspenseful. Dan Brown made the narrator anonymous and omniscient in the third person, so the story constantly changes in different sunny plots; as a result, the chapters are very short and sacrifice detail. The novel begins with the murder of Jacques Saunière: “Wincing with pain, he summoned all his faculties and strength. He knew that the desperate task before him would take every remaining second of his life. (p. 5) Because the novel begins with a tragedy, the events that follow the murder are full of suspense. Brown also applies 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 Device: “Should we wave a flag and tell the Buddhists that we have proof that the Buddha did not come from a lotus flower? Or that Jesus was not literally born of a virgin? 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 meaning in itself and that represents something greater than its definition, such as an idea, belief, or value. In The Da Vinci Code, Robert Langdon explores religion's conflicts with the real world. Langdon explains the allegorical element present in every religion and the effect it has on its followers. The lotus flower and the.