Thinking Activity on the novel The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown.
This novel by Da Brown, The Da Vinci Code was very controversy in nowadays.This book also banned in so many countries. Some critics or the people who also believe that it book was an Anti-Christianity, but it is not as so. And then Dan Brown himself said on his site that the book was not an Anti-Christian but it only raise a question on the Christianity.
1.) 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."
Ans: This novel is full of things about the Christianity and also tell us about the Jesus personal life and relation with Mary Magdalene. This novel is quiet interesting and entertaining. The story also promotes the spiritual discussion and debate about Christianity. The Protagonist of the novel Robert langton, also constant going on his spiritual journey, because he has some scar form his childhood. He also believing in God from his Past, he also experienced God when he was fall down into the well. Still he was in his journey to find the God, or experienced of God. The othe r side we see that there were one historian whose name is Leigh Teabing was an Anti- Christian but with the good purpose. He believe to destroyed the truth of and blind faith of humans in God. He wants to give freedom the people who blindly follow the Christian rules and kill the people like it is said by their teacher. The other character named Silas also follow blindly the Christian rules and kills so may people, and Leigh Teabing also want to break this faith. The protagonist of the novel Robert at the end of the novel still believing in God and it is not an Anti-Christianity. It is also positive catalyst and for introspection and exploration of our faith.
2.) (If)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?
Ans: We study all these three works related somehow to the Christianity. In all these three books we see that there were talking about the God and also doubt on their existence. But in the case of the novel The Da Vinci Code it is more convincing than the other two works. Contemporary young generation more trust on the novel The Da Vinci Code, because we live in the era of doubt and not easily trust on them who is anything speaking about God. We live in the era of Post truth, so we doubt on anything and also ask a question on the existence of God. First we look at the Genesis, it is also a story about existence of Jesus Christ, we don't know exactly about it but there were some Gospel about it. Second we study The Paradise Lost, by John Milton it is also one long epic poem. It is also the imagination of Milton, in the poem we saw that how human kind was existent on the Earth, by the given punishment of God. And we also know from the experience of Adam and Eve, and the punishment was that the women suffers during the child birth. So that the human kind have some fear from God. Third and the last novel The Da Vinci Code, we see that there were some truth about the life of Jesus Christ and it is also hide by some secret keepers. The Protagonist find that and he also still believing the God was there in the air. But Dan Brown Prove that the Jesus himself not a God but a simple Divine human kind, and also show that things in his movie. so the contemporary young generation more trust on this novel.
3.) 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?
Ans. We all know that any religion responsible for the damage of humanity or society. Many people killed each other and bit someone on the name of God and For the name of God. In the Paradise Lost we see that there were also a fall of humanity. In the poem we see that the Christianity controls the human kind specially control the women. In religion the authority only have to men not women, if woman want to say something they kill her. The woman have not freedom of speech, on the name of God Pop, Bishops control over the women's activity. Even woman have no rights to do something against the God. On the other hand we see that in the Da Vinci Code there were the character named Silas who kill so many people on the name of God. He was blind follower of God. He was dumb character in the novel after murdering he give hard punishment to himself. When Silas shoot by police officer he has some regression on his killing and he was said that, ' I am Demon '. So, like that religion harm to humanity in various ways.
4.) Do
novel / film lead us into critical (deconstructive) thinking about your
religion? Can we think of such conspiracy theory about Hindu religious
symbols / myths?
Ans. Yes, the novel/movie lead us into deconstructive thinking about our religion. In some famous work we see that there were so interesting story about God and Goddesses but we can not blindly trust on them , because may be it is only for the entertaining. The history is the past of the past so we didn't know actually about it. In the case of Dan Brown's novel, we didn't clearly know about what is holy grail and what is Sarcophagus of Mary Magdalen. So whatever we read we do not apply as our knowledge but we raises question against it. What is exactly Holy Grail and What is Sarcophagus of Mary Magdalen, entire the movie/novel we find some secret about it and at the end the truth was revel. It also question on our religion that it is real or not. In Hindu religion we saw that there were so many gospels tell by some saints, it is not as trustworthy. Later stories are written by so many people and in their work there were their thoughts or imagination not truth. In very famous epic named Mahabharata there were mentioned the story about Bhima and his wife Hidimba and their son. In the actual epic poem there were not any clue of their story so, it is also raises question on the religion. In the novel Da Vinci Code there were also many question like, Has there been any relation between the Jesus and Mary Magdalen?, There were actually any Holy Grail?, Sophia was a Jesus and Mary's bloodline? that kind of question raises in our mind after watching the movie.
5.) When
we do traditional reading of the novel ‘The Da Vinci Code’, Robert
Langdon, Professor of Religious Symbology, Harvard University emerges as
protagonist and Sir Leigh Teabing, a British Historian as antagonist. Who will claim the position of protagonist if we do atheist reading of the novel.
Ans. If we read the novel as a traditional way we say that Robert Langdon was a protagonist of the novel, because he was still believing of God after knowing the truth. If we looking as atheist reader we find Leigh Teabing as a protagonist. Leigh Teabing wants to reveal the truth and give freedom to people from the blind faith in God. He was a Historian and studies a lot about the Christianity, he know that the Jesus was not a God but a Divine human kind like us, but some people blind follow the Christianity. Robert has some faith in God because his experience with God, he can not agree with Teabing to reveal the truth and he becomes the next secret keeper. At the end of the movie he finally finds the Holy Grail or Mary's sarcophagus and at there he was kneeling down and becomes pious.
6.) 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’?
Ans. There are four stage of knowability. Here in this novel, ' I don't know, what i don't know ' is apply on many of the characters. Some time we can't find truth even it was in front of our eyes. The time and place played a vital role to know the truth, Before the time we can't know anything about the truth even it was relate with us. In the case o Sophie she really don't know that she was a bloodline of Jesus, and she even don't know about the Holy Grail and what is the secret?. At the end the truth reveal and she realize that she was a secret. Other character the professor Robert Langdon, also can't understand some symbol and taking help of the historian named Leigh Teabing. He was also don't know what is the secret but with the help of clues he reaches at the Sophie and know that she was a secret. The blind follower of the Christianity Silas also don't know that what is truth and kills so many people, but at the end he know that God didn't tell to kill somebody and he feel regress on his work. So there are the characters who really Don't know what they Don't know.
