The Da vinci code by Dan Brown

Hello reader,

      This blog is a part of my classroom activity given by Dr. Dilip Barad on the novel “Da vinci code” by Dan Brown.

To see worksheet of given task click here.

                   

(3) (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?

        Among all of three narratives, novel Da vinci cod’s narrative is more convincing to the contemporary young generation. In his novel we see very strong narrative with such strong evidence that we have to accept it. On the other hand we see the narrative of Genesis (it is chapter of the Bible). In which we see the story of Adam and Eve which was far away from reality.In Paradise Lost Milton tell same story from Bible but in which he do some change and Eve became more rational character and she ask question after eating forbidden fruit. The story of Bible is shown as reality of world but it has not any evidence about it. Now a day’s generation believes in evidence which was very good represented in Dan Brown’s novel ‘Da vinci code’. In which we see the question on religion which was not blindly follow by people. In this narrative we see some doubt and also talks in favor of freeing the human from the shackles of religious norms. So this novel’s narrative is more convincing then, Milton’s paradise lost or Bible.

(4) 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?

          In the Bible and Paradise lost shown fall of mankind because of female. Eve was one who ate the forbidden fruit first so; she was responsible for fall of mankind. So here we see that people first attacks on female as unworthy and reason for downfall of
human kind. In Christianity Bible doesn’t allow people to ask questions so their knowledge about religion is become very shallow. In ‘Da vinci code’ novel also female character Sophie is presented with wisdom and strength in the beginning of the novel but when to male are talking and discussing on the
knowledge of history or art at that time she looks like dumb woman. So always people keeping woman away from knowledge and blaming on her.

(6) Do novel / film lead us into critical (deconstructive) thinking about your religion? Can we think of such conspiracy theory about Hindu religious symbols / myths?

       Of course this type of the novel or movie leads to deconstruct religion or doubting on it. It raises many doubts in our mind about religion. We have many great religious books like Mahabharata, Bhagvatgita, Ramayana etc... In which I would like to give one example from Ramayana. In which we see Ram as God but many narrative has proved that Ram was not God but he was great human. In Amish Tripathi’s novel “Scion of Ikshvaku” he wrote that,

“Ram and Lakshaman made their way through the dense jungle. Ram walked in front varying one end of a long staff on his shoulder, while Lakshaman Walked behind holding up the other end. The deer’s carcass dangles in the middle, its feet having been secured to the staff with a study rope. 

‘Aah, a decent meal after so many days’. Said by Lakshaman”
                                                               - Tripathi
 
        Through this dialogue of Lakshaman the image of Ram and Lakshaman as a vegetarian was deconstructed. So, we have many example like this which was leads us into deconstructive thinking about religion.

(7) Have you come across any similar book/movie, which tries to deconstruct accepted notions about Hindu religion or culture and by dismantling it, attempts to reconstruct another possible interpretation of truth?

       Yes, the movie like, Oh My God or P.K. which tries to question on the religion, It also tries to redefines what is been followed blindly by people. In the movie Oh My God we see that hero of the movie Kanjibhai who do the case against God because his antic shop was destroyed in earthquake. He believes that his shop destroyed because of god. So here we see that he question against God which break the stereo type mindset of the society and question against God also.

(8) 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?

      Leigh Teabing will claim the protagonist if we do atheist reading of the novel. He was in the favor to destroy the grail in order to free people from any kind of fear.


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

 Ann Gray describe three proposition on knowability that can we apply in the novel “ The Da vinci cod” because in the novel one of the major question is about ‘identity’ and ‘knowledge
about the self’. Ann Gray’s three proposition of knowability.

(A) Identifying what is knowable.
 
      This is an ontological question; it refers to the aspect of social reality to be studied but also deals with assumptions. We are willing to make about the nature of reality. This is very waste concept and one cannot claim that whatever we know is truth. Character like Silas dies in blindness about his knowledge.

(B) Identifying and acknowledging the relationship of the knower and the known.

        This is epistemological question and put simply asks how we know that we know. In the novel Silas don’t know who the teacher is but then also he works for him and killed so many people under the order of the teacher.

(C) What is the procedure for knowing?
 
        This is the methodological question so in this we come to know that there are many ways to find out the things. In this novel procedure for knowing we find in the character of Sophie Neveu. She knows about here self that she belongs to royal blood line of Jesus Christ after slowing many riddle.

        So this three questions are very much related to the novel because one of the major thing of the novel is that; knowledge and knowability. So for that perspective understanding of these things from Ann Gray’s book is very helpful.





Thank you…