THE MESSAGES AS REVEALED BY THE MAIN CHARACTERS
AND THE CONFLICTS OF DAN BROWN’S
THE DA VINCI
CODE
AN UNDERGRADUATE THESIS
Presented as Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Sarjana Sastra
in English Letters
By
MM. DIAN NUGRAHENI P
Student Number: 014214008
ENGLISH LETTERS STUDY PROGRAMME DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH LETTERS
FACULTY OF LETTERS SANATA DHARMA UNIVERSITY
THE MESSAGES AS REVEALED BY THE MAIN CHARACTERS
AND THE CONFLICTS OF DAN BROWN’S
THE DA VINCI
CODE
AN UNDERGRADUATE THESIS
Presented as Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Sarjana Sastra
in English Letters
By
MM. DIAN NUGRAHENI P
Student Number: 014214008
ENGLISH LETTERS STUDY PROGRAMME DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH LETTERS
FACULTY OF LETTERS SANATA DHARMA UNIVERSITY
YOGYAKARTA 2008
Ask, and it shall be given you;
Seek, opened unto you.
For every one that asketh receiveth;
And he that seeketh findeth;
And to him that knocketh it shall be opened.
(Matthew 7:7-8)
This undergraduate thesis is dedicated to:
My beloved late Father in heaven,
My beloved mother,
My beloved loyal soul mate,
My special sister,
My funniest niece and nephew.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
I realize this thesis could not have been finished without the helps of many people who really care about me. Therefore, it is necessary for me to express my gratitude. Firstly, I would like to thank Jesus Christ who gives me His blessing and a change to experience this wonderful life. My sincere gratitude goes to my advisor, Drs. Hirmawan Wijanarka, M.Hum., for his brilliant ideas and his patience during the consultation. Then the gratitude goes to my co-advisor, Elisa Dwi Wardani, S.S., M.Hum for the comment and suggestion.
I also would like to thank my parents, my late father Martinus Mulyono and my mother Margaretha Djumiati for their unconditional love, support, attention and understanding; my sister Valentina Dian Ayuningtyas for her love, and togetherness.
I must thank my beloved boyfriend, Charles for his loyalty, never-ending prayer, attention, support, and his unlimited love. I thank all my friends in English Letters of USD, especially Putri, Kristy, Ayu and Ririn for their spirit and endless friendship. I also thank all of my friends in my boarding house at Kepuh GKIII/809, especially mbak Sri for sharing happy and difficult moments.
Last but not least, I give my gratitude to all of my friends, Andreas, Lestarie, and they who I cannot mention one by one, for their lovely friendship that make my life colorful and even I never feel lonely.
MM. Dian Nugraheni P
TABLE OF CONTENTS
CHAPTER II : THEORETICAL REVIEW ……… 9
A. Review of Related Studies ……… 9
B. Review of Related Theories ………. 10
1. Theory of Character and Characterization …………. 10
2. Theory of Conflict ……….. 13
3. Theory of Message ………. 14
C. Theoretical Framework ……… 16
CHAPTER III : METHODOLOGY ……….. 18
A. Object of the Study ……….. 18
B. Approach ………. 19
C. Method of the Study ………... 20
CHAPTER IV : ANALYSIS ………. 21
A. The Characteristics of Robert Langdon and Sophie Neveu … 22 1. The Characteristics of Robert Langdon ……… 22
2. The Characteristics of Sophie Neveu ……… 28
B. The Conflicts Revealed in Robert Langdon’s and Sophie Neveu’s Characters ……… 35
1. Robert Langdon’s and Sophie Neveu’s Internal Conflict … 35 2. Robert Langdon’s and Sophie Neveu’s External Conflict .. 42
C. The Messages as Revealed by the Main Characters and Conflicts ……… 51
CHAPTER V : CONCLUSION ……….. 72
BIBLIOGRAPHY ……… 75
LEMBAR PERNYATAAN PERSETUJUAN
PUBLIKASI KARYA ILMIAH UNTUK KEPENTINGAN AKADEMIS
Yang bertanda tangan di bawah ini, saya mahasiswa Universitas Sanata Dharma : Nama : MM. Dian Nugraheni P.
Nomor Mahasiswa : 014214008.
Demi pengembangan ilmu pengetahuan, saya memberikan kepada Perpustakaan Universitas Sanata Dharma skripsi/karya ilmiah saya yang berjudul :
The Messages as Revealed by The Main Characters and The Conflicts of Dan Brown’s The Da Vinci Code
beserta perangkat yang diperlukan (bila ada). Dengan demikian saya memberikan kepada Perpustakaan Universitas Sanata Dharma hak untuk menyimpan, me-ngalihkan dalam bentuk media lain, mengelolanya dalam bentuk pangkalan data, mendistribusikan secara terbatas, dan mempublikasikannya di Internet atau media lain untuk kepentingan akademis tanpa perlu meminta ijin dari saya maupun memberikan royalti kepada saya selama tetap mencantumkan nama saya sebagai penulis.
Demikian pernyataan ini yang saya buat dengan sebenarnya. Dibuat di Yogyakarta
Pada tanggal : January 29th, 2008
Yang menyatakan
( MM. Dian Nugraheni P )
ABSTRACT
MM. Dian Nugraheni P (2008). The Messages as Revealed by the Main Characters and the Conflicts of Dan Brown’s The Da Vinci Code. Yogyakarta: Department of English Letters, Faculty of Letters, Sanata Dharma University.
The object of this study is the novel by Dan Brown entitled The Da Vinci Code. The novel was first published in March 2003.The purposes of this study are first,; explaining the main characters, Robert Langdon and Sophie Neveu,; Second, explaining the conflicts revealed by Robert Langdon and Sophie Neveu and shows the messages as revealed by the main characters and their conflicts.
This study applies the objective criticism as the approach to analyze this novel that was emphasized on the literature it self, that is from the intrinsic elements. This study analyzes the messages that can be taken from the intrinsic elements that are the main characters and the conflicts. The dominant theory that was used in analyzing this study is theory of character and characterization, because by knowing the characteristics of the character, it will be easier to find out the conflict and the message inside the story.
The findings of the analysis are as follows. There are two main characters of the story written by Dan Brown. They are Robert Langdon, a professor of religious symbology, Harvard University, and Sophie Neveu, a French cryptologist and a granddaughter of Saunière, a curator of Louvre Museum. Langdon was accused as a murder of Jaques Saunière. Both of them have to solve the clues to get a proof that Langdon is not guilty about the murder and also both of them try to know the truth that was mean by Saunière. If failed, the explosive, ancient truth will be lost forever. It was not only many clues and polices that they faced, both of them also have to face the conflicts against the betrayals of Andre Vernet, a bunker, also Silas the albino, the monk and the murder, Rémy Legaludec, Leigh Teabing’s servant, and also the real murder or the head of the murder, Leigh Teabing. The inner conflicts also have to be faced by Langdon and Sophie. Langdon has to face his phobias, his surprised being suspected as a murder, his feeling of guilt, because he brings Sophie to Leigh Teabing, the betrayal. Sophie also has to face her inner conflict, by reminding her bad experience, and faced the betrayal. By analyzing the novel, the writer can find some messages; First,; everyone should have self-confidence in their ability. Second, people should be responsible for what they have bring so that people will trust on them. Third, every religion helps people be a better people. Fourth, it is necessary to be open - minded. And last, people will repay on what they did.
ABSTRAK
MM. Dian Nugraheni P (2008). The Messages as Revealed by the Main Characters and the Conflicts of Dan Brown’s The Da Vinci Code. Yogyakarta: Jurusan Sastra Inggris, Facultas Sastra, Universitas Sanata Dharma.
Obyek dari studi ini adalah novel karya Dan Brown berjudul The Da Vinci Code. Novel ini pertama kali diterbitkan pada bulan Maret tahun 2003.Tujuan dari studi ini adalah pertama, menjelaskan karakter tokoh utama, Robert Langdon dan Sophie Neveu. Kedua, menjelaskan konflik – konflik yang ditampakkan dalam diri tokoh utama, dan menunjukkan pesan – pesan yang dinyatakan dari karakter dan konflik – konflik tokoh utama.
Studi ini menerapkan kritik obyektif sebagai pendekatan untuk menganalisa novel ini yang menekankan pada karya sastra itu sendiri, yaitu dari unsur – unsur intrinsik. Studi ini menganalisa pesan – pesan yang dapat diambil dari unsur – unsur intrinsik yaitu tokoh utama dan konflik – konflik. Teori yang dominan digunakan dalam menganalisa studi ini adlah teori sifat dan pelukisan watak, karena dengan mengetahui sifat dari carakter tokoh, akan memudahkan untuk menemukan konflik dan pesan di dalam cerita.
Temuan dari analisis adalah sebagai berikut. Ada dua tokoh utama dalam cerita yang ditulis Dan Brown, mereka adalah Robert Langdon seorang professor simbologi keagamaan, dan Sophie Neveu seorang kriptologi Perancis dan cucu perempuan Saunière, seorang curator di Musium Louvre. Langdon dituduh sebagai pembunuh Jaques Saunière. Mereka berdua harus memecahkan petunjuk – petunjuk untuk mendapatkan bukti bahwa Langdon tidak bersalah atas pembunuhan dan juga mereka berdua mencoba untuk mengetahui kebenaran yang dimaksudkan oleh Saunière. Jika gagal, kebenaran kuno yang menghebohkan akan hilang selamanya. Tidak hanya banyak petunjuk dan polisi yang mereka hadapi, mereka berdua juga harus menghadapi konflik – konflik melawan para penghianat, Andre Vernet, seorang bankir, juga Silas seorang albino, biarawan dan juga pembunuh, Rémy Legaludec, pelayan Leigh Teabing, dan juga pembunuh yang sebenarnya, pemimpin pembunuhan, Leigh Teabing. Konflik – konflik batin juga harus dihadapi oleh Langdon dan Sophie. Langdon harus menghadapi phobianya, keterkejutannya dituduh sebagai pembunuh, perasaan bersalahnya, karena membawa Sophie pada Leigh Teabing, seorang pengkhianat. Sophie juga harus menghadapi konflik batinnya, dengan mengingat pengalaman buruknya, dan menghadapi pengkhianat. Dengan menganalisa novel, penulis dapat menemukan beberapa pesan; Pertama,setiap orang harus memiliki kepercayaan diri pada kemampuannya. Kedua, Manusia harus bertanggung jawab pada apa yang mereka bawa sehingga orang lain akan mempercayainya. Ketiga, setiap agama membantu manusia menjadi orang yang lebih baik. Keempat, sangatlah penting untuk menjadi terbuka. Dan yang terakhir, manusia akan membayar atas apa yang mereka perbuat.
CHAPTER I
INTRODUCTION
A. Background of the Study
Human beings usually express their ideas and experiences through literature. It is the world of human beings because it has a close relationship with human’s life. In Literature and Life in America it is said that “Literature always deals with human beings” (Pooley, 1943:2). It means that it can deal with human reality in many aspects of life, such as a social condition or a political situation and personal life, human’s feelings, thought, and their act.
Literature is a social institution that uses a social creation, i.e. language as its medium. It is the representation of life, which is in large measure, a social reality (Wellek and Warren,1956:94). Literary works can also function as a historical document that records the social realities which are artistically portrayed by their authors, who are also the part or member of the society (Wellek and Warren 1956:102).
There are many types of literary works, one of them is novel. Novel has a great description of its elements, such as the setting, the characters, the conflicts, themes, messages, symbols, the plots, etc. In a novel, it shows the complex problems between characters and the characters’ development in the story. Those great descriptions of elements become the strength and the most important thing of the novel that differentiates the novel from other kinds of literature.
A novel usually shows the development of the characters or a large complex social situation or a relationship involving many characters or a complicated event covering many years, or a complex relationship among characters in detail (Stanton, 1965:44). A novel covers all the feelings, experiences, and thought of its characters. Therefore, it gives the reader a better understanding about life. According to Perrine, novel offers an unparalleled opportunity to observe human nature in all its complexity and multiplicity. It enables the readers to know people, to understand them and to learn compassion from them, as one might not otherwise do in real life (1974:68).
There are many things that the readers get by reading literary works such as novel. The readers will get pleasure and lesson from the novels. Novels describe society and have certain goals, conveying a message of society’s values, shows the social and political condition of society when the novels are made, shows the background and the thought of the author, etc.
The main character of the story written by Dan Brown is Robert Langdon. He is a professor of religious symbology, Harvard University, who is described as a hero and well respected, brave and brilliant, but unfortunately he faces a big and unforgettable problem in his life. it begins when he was in Paris, he get an emergency phone call in the middle of the night. The senior curator of the Louvre has been killed inside the museum, around his body, there are many amazing secret messages and symbols. When Langdon and a gifted French cryptologist, Sophie Neveu, tried to solve the weird clues, they were surprised to find a trail of clues hidden in the famous works of Leonardo Da Vinci – clues visible to see everybody but ingeniously disguised by the painter. The situation become startling when Langdon found a surprised relationship: the late curator was involved in the priory of Sion – an actual secret society whose members included Sir Isaac Newton, Batticelli, Victor Hugo, and Da Vinci. Langdon was curious that actually he faced a hunting to solve a big mystery, historical secret. Langdon and Sophie became an international criminal. Both of them have to solve the clues. If failed, the explosive, ancient truth will be lost forever. Not only many clues and police that they faced, both of them also have to face the betrayals, the real murder, inners conflict and conflict with others characters, and founding unbelievable fact.
Code is the story offers the realities of human beings, human nature about ambition, patient, loyalty, and trusts or believes in his life, also about knowledge, history, and a controversial story, that it can opened the writer’s mind toward world and life.
week. Recently named one of the World’s 100 Most Influential people by TIME Magazine, Brown has made appearances on CNN, National Public Radio, The Today Show, Voice of America, as well as in Newsweek, GQ, People, The New Yorker, Forbes which Dan Brown became the 12th in the list of the most powerful celebrities 2005, and the other. The novels has been translated and published in more than 40 languages around the world. In April 2006, London’s High Court stated that Dan Brown’s novel, The Da Vinci Code did not breach the copyright of a 1982 book, The Holy Blood and the Holy Grail, by Michael Baigent and Richard Leigh.
Dan Brown’s inspirations got from his environment, that he surrounded by paradoxical philosophies of science and religion. Recently, he has begun work on a series of symbology thrillers featuring his popular protagonist’s character, Robert Langdon, a Harvard Professor of Iconography and Religious Art.
B. Problem Formulation
Based on the background above, the writer formulates three problems presented in this study that lead to the further discussion of the topic. Dealing with the characters of the story, the problems can be formulated as follows:
1. What are the characteristics of Robert Langdon and his friend Sophie Neveu? 2. What are the conflicts faced by Robert Langdon and Sophie Neveu?
C. Objectives of the Study
The objective of the study is to obtain satisfying answers for the questions raised in the problem formulation. Related to the questions, the aims must be stated as follows:
First, it is to explain the characteristics of Robert Langdon and Sophie Neveu. Second, to find and explain the conflicts that faced by Robert Langdon and Sophie Neveu. And the last, it is to discover the messages expressed and revealed by Robert Langdon and Sophie Neveu.
D. Definition of Terms
To understand the study of revealing the possible messages through the main character and the conflicts, it is important to give a clarification of the terms used in the discussion. The clarification is important to avoid misunderstanding and ambiguity as well as to obtain a clear understanding on the study.
1. Character.
According to Abrams, in A Glossary of Literary Term:
“Character is the person presented in a dramatic or narrative work that are interpreted by the readers as being endowed with moral and dispositional qualities that are expressed in what they say – the dialogue and what they do – the actions. It means that the character in a story should have moral and natural qualities of mind and it can be found out in their dialogue and action” (1981:20).
Koesnosoebroto in The Anatomy of Fiction, notices:
“Main character is the important person in the story, it can be the centre of the story. The acts of the story are focused on this character from the beginning to the ending parts. Main character cannot stand on his own; he needs other characters to make the story more convincing and life. That is why the existence of minor characters are needed although they are less important than those the main” (1988:67).
Main character usually appears in the whole of the story. This character becomes the focus of the story. The events that appear in the story always involve him. He is a figure who is relevant to every event in the story.
2. Conflict
According to Robert and Jacobs in Fiction: An Introduction to Reading and Writing, divine conflict as the opposition between two characters. It may also exist between larger groups of people, although in fiction conflict between individual are more identifiable and therefore more interesting. Conflict may also exist between an individual and larger forces, such as natural objects, ideas, and modes of behavior public opinion and the like. The existence of difficult choices within an individual mind may also be presented not as direct opposition, but rather as a set of comparative ideas of values” (1987:88).
3. Message
In Teori Pengkajian Fiksi, Nurgiyantoro defines message as the moral in the work of art, which is deals with good and bad. It can also be something that the author wants to convey to the readers. In this opinion message is the complete meaning or concept in a work of literature, the meaning within a work or the meaning suggested through the story (1995:321).
4. Moral
CHAPTER II
THEORETICAL REVIEW
A. Review of Related Studies
As one of the famous and controversial stories of Dan Brown’s work, The Da Vinci Code has been analyzed and criticized by some people who are interested in this story. For this part, I quote the criticism from several sources.
Patrick Anderson gives his comments on The Da Vinci Code in The Washington Post that the writer takes from the website of the internet in http://wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Da_Vinci_Code. He states:
“Brown keeps the pace fast, the puzzles that lead to the Grail are exceedingly clever, and there is a flurry of surprises and betrayals before the mystery is finally solved. Whatever the reader makes of the religious theory put forth, Brown has a great deal of interest to say about the early days of Christianity, the influence of Pagan religions on it and the legend of the Grail. He says the revelations about Jesus – not to be revealed here – have been whispered about for centuries, but have never overcome the opposition of organized Christianity. How much of this fact and how much is a fiction? Read the book and make up your mind”.
The above review does not discuss the messages that reflected in characters and conflicts in The Da Vinci Code. This analysis is absolutely different from the above review, because in this thesis, the writer wants and tries to analyze and to find out the messages or the moral lessons in the novel. In this analysis, it gives a description of what kind of messages that the author of the novel wants to reveal.
B. Review of Related Theories
1. Theory of Character and Characterization
According to A Handbook to Literature by Holman and Harmon, character means a complicated term that includes the idea of the novel constitution of the human personality, the presence of moral uprightness and the simpler notion of the presence of creatures in art that seem to be human beings of sort or another. (1986:81).
Sylvan Barnet in his book Literature for Composition: Essay, Fiction, Poetry and Drama (1988:712) states the ways to understand the characteristic of a character through:
a. What the character/figure says
How the character says will help the readers interpret her/his characteristics. b. What the character does/acts
The readers can learn the attitudes or behaviors of a character and they may guess how actually the author crates the character.
c. What other characters say about the character
A character interacts with other characters. They share their opinion and gives comments about that character. Such opinion and comment may reflect the characteristics of the character drawn.
attention given to them, and the personal intensity that they seem to transmit. It is the major characters who deserve our fullest attention because they perform a key structural function: upon them, we build expectations (1977:87,97).
MH. Abrams in A Glossary of Literary Terms defines character as major and minor. According to Abrams, major character is usually the center of the story. He/she is the most important character in the story. Usually, the acts of the story are focused in this character from the beginning to the ending parts. The core of the story is highlighted though this character’s experience. Minor character is a character that appears in a certain setting, just necessarily to become the background for the major character. This role are less important than the major character because they are not fully developed characters and their roles ion the story are just to support the development of the major characters (1981:20).
Robert Stanton in An Introduction to Fiction, states that most stories contain a central character who is relevant to every event in the story; usually the events cause some change either in him or in our attitude toward him. (1965:17).
From Encyclopedia Americana, the chief character or hero of a fiction is usually three-dimensional and is known as the protagonist. His adversary, if any is known as antagonist. Most novels and plays have flat characters to offset round ones. (1978:290).
people. The protagonist maybe in conflict with fate or the environment, or his struggle may be an inner one whereby he battles with a part of himself or with conflicting value system or desires, or his inner conflict may be objectified in a conflict with someone or something outside himself. (1971:20-21).
Murphy’s theory of character presentation in his Understanding Unseen: An Introduction to English Poetry and English Novel explain nine ways of author to present characters. They are personal character, character as seen by another, speech, past life, conversation of others, reactions, direct comment, thought, and mannerism. (1972:161-173).
According to Encyclopedia Americana, literature is the presentation of the attitudes and behavior of imaginary persons in order to make the readers understand the author’s idea. Therefore, characterization is a unique feature of such fictional forms as the short story, novel, drama, and narrative poetry. Criticism regards good characterization as important criteria of excellence in fiction. (1978:290).
MH. Abrams in A Glossary of Literary Terms, states that there are two methods of characterization, namely showing and telling. In showing method, the author only presents his character’s conversation and action and leaves the reader to infer what motives and dispositions lay behind what they say and do. In telling method, the author himself becomes a land of narrator in order to describe and evaluate the motives and dispositional qualities of the character. (1981:21).
“Characterization must follow three principles in order to be convincing. Firstly, the characters in the story must have consistency in the way they behave. This consistency might be broken if only there is a sufficient reason to explain this change of behavior. Secondly, whatever the characters do, they must have clear motivation especially when they break the consistency of their behaviors. Finally, the characters must appear lifelike or plausible” (1974:69).
2. Theory of Conflict
According to Redman in his book A Second Book of Plays, conflict has an important role in literary work because it always deals with the plot. Conflict appears from central character’s action in dealing with other forces. Central character or protagonist has a responsibility to bring the conflict to the end. Conflict is resolved when protagonist succeeds or fails in overcoming the other forces. Sometimes the protagonist gives up when the struggle is too difficult or worthless (1964:363).
MH. Abrams in A Glossary of Literary Terms, mentions that many plots deal with conflict. In addition to the conflict between individual, there may be the conflict of a protagonist against fate, or against the circumstances that stand between him and a goal he has set himself, and in some works, the conflict is between opposing desires or values in a character’s of own mind (1981:128).
or perhaps an internal one between the two opposing parts of man’s personality (1986:107).
Stanton in An Introduction to Fiction, divides conflict into internal and external conflict (1965:16):
a. Internal Conflict
This kind of conflict is identified by term Man vs. Himself. It takes place inside the protagonist, meaning that he/she is arguing with him/herself. He spends the entire story arguing with himself about what to do before something finally happens that forces him to make decision.
b. External Conflict
This conflict is happens when the protagonist has trouble and conflicts against the others characters. The protagonist is opposed by another character. Frequently he fights with a single person or more than one.
3. Theory of Message
Sinclair in Collins Cobuild Essential Dictionary defines message as “an idea that someone tries to communicate to people, for example in a play or a speech, or the meaning, that thought or idea that is intended to express. (1988:490).The example of message can be in the form of God’s command as guidance, valuable words, and advice.
some case has relativity. It means that people’s opinion about moral and values are not the same from one and the other place.
Beaty and Paul in New World of Literature states that message is “the real meaning or some easy conclusion” that can be simply stated or summarized inside a work of art (1989:899). It brings to simplification and gives the illusion that a work of literature exist for its statement that tempts the readers through the story, drama, poem, etc. to get the real meaning.
In the novel, usually there can be more than one message. In Oxford Advanced Learner Dictionary, Hornby says that message is a piece of news inspired by social or moral teaching (1989:234).
According to Nurgiyantoro in Teori Pengkajian Fiksi, message is the moral in the work of art. It deals with good and bad. It can also be something that an author wants to convey to the readers (1995:321). In this opinion message is the complete meaning or concept in a work of literature, the meaning within a work or the meaning suggested through the story.
In general, delivering the message in a work of fiction can be in a direct and in an indirect form (Nurgiyantoro,1995:336):
a. Direct Form
b. Indirect Form
Indirect form has an indirect nature. It means that when the author wants to convey or show something, he does not convey it directly. If the author wants to convey something, he expresses it implicitly and gives the readers a chance to interpret it thoughtfully.
Message in a story is considered as a suggestion related to practical moral lesson that can be taken through the story. They are also having a close relation to problems in life, such as attitude, behavior or action. The readers can find them in the real life, in the same manner as they are reflected in the story through its characters.
C. Theoretical Framework
The topic that the writer wants to discuss and expose by this thesis is the messages that are reflected in characters, conflicts, and experiences in The Da Vinci Code. To find out or discover the messages, the writer used some theories that considered important to the topic, such as theories on character, theories on characterization, theories on conflict, and theories on messages.
Theories on conflict are considered important since the writer takes the messages in the story based on the conflicts and experiences that happens in the story. This story gives a lot of conflict that makes it more interesting. The main character has the conflict with himself and with the other.
To reveal the messages, the writer applies theories on message. Through the dialogue, the description of the characters, including what the character’s experience and conflicts are, what the characters do, say, and respond, are taken as examples or suggestion that are reflected in the messages of the story. Theory of message is important for the writer to obtain better understanding of the messages that the author wants to rise and say.
CHAPTER III
METHODOLOGY
A. Object of the Study
The object of the study used in this thesis is a novel by Dan Brown entitled The Da Vinci Code. This novel was first published in 2003 by Doubleday, a division of Random House, Inc. I use the book that is published in 2004.
This book consists of 489 pages and is divided into 1 prologue, 105 chapters, and 1 epilogue. Besides the text’s story, this edition contains a valuable introduction about some facts and a little summary about the story to make the reader easy to understand the story, also Dan Brown’s acknowledgements for some people who had already help him to write the story. To help the readers understand Dan Brown’s story and meanings, the novel was translated into 40 languages. The novel is now also being adapted for film by Columbia Pictures.
The genre of the story is thriller fiction. It is about how the main character Robert Langdon, a Harvard professor of symbology, and Sophie Neveu, a French cryptologist try to solve the murder of the elderly curator of the Louvre, Jacques Sauniere insides the museum, and how both of them discover the mystery of the secret codes left by Sauniere that have a great relation with a sacred historical truth. The story is also about how the main characters as the protagonist face the problems and conflicts with the antagonist character, such as their betrayals or enemy, polices, and the other characters.
From the above information and explanation about the novel, the writer tries to focus the discussion only on the main character’s description, by their act or attitudes, dialogue, and the conflicts to reveal the message.
B. Approach of the Study
To analyze and understand a literary work deeply, the writer needs a certain approach. In order to analyze the novel, the writer uses the objective criticism.
According to the objective criticism the work stands free from poet, audience, and the environing world. It examines the literary work based on the work itself, without connecting it to the other aspects outside the work including the historical and social background, or the biography of the author. The objective criticism focuses on the literary work from the intrinsic elements such as setting (place and time), theme, character, plot, which build the work (Abrams, 1981:37). It means, the objective criticism regards a literary object as a work which consists of some internal parts without any reference to other external parts. The objective criticism criticizes a work as something that is standing on the work itself that is to be analyzed and judged by the intrinsic criteria.
Concerning by the subject, this analyzing study focuses its analysis on the main characters and the conflicts element, and needs no other aspects outside the work for the analysis.
C. Method of the Study
In analyzing the novel, the writer did library and internet research. There were two kinds of sources that used in this analysis, the primary and secondary sources. The primary sources was the novel itself, Dan Brown’s The Da Vinci Code. It was used to analyze the story or the text of the story and to get the supporting answer of the problem formulations. The secondary sources compromised the books that provided criticism on the novel, the approach on the work, the theory of message, conflicts, characterization which were important for the study, and some critical reviews taken from certain internet sites. It also compromised some information about the biography of the author.
CHAPTER IV
ANALYSIS
A. The Characteristics of Robert Langdon and Sophie Neveu
One of the important aspects in the story is character. That statement is based on the previous chapter which is said that character is the person presented in a dramatic or narrative work that are interpreted by the readers as being endowed with moral and dispositional qualities that are expressed in what they say, their dialogue and what they do or the action. It means that the character in the story should have moral and natural qualities of mind and it can be found out in their dialogue and action (Abrams, 1981:20). The dialogues of the story are basically expressed by the character from the beginning until the ending parts. The character makes the story flow interestingly and lively. So, without the character, the story is nothing.
Character owns certain characteristics which are expressed through his or her attitudes. The characteristics of the character deal with characterization. Characterization also becomes the most important element in the story, it have a big role in creating the character , how the author gives the description of the character , and how the author makes the readers understanding the character. The author creates the character by using his imagination to give certain characteristics to the characters so that the readers can imagine what the men look like, and they can also getting to know whether the characters are good or bad person.
From this chapter, the writer will analyze the characteristic of Robert Langdon and Sophie Neveu as the main character in “The Da Vinci Code”. Firstly, the writer wants to describe the characteristic of Robert Langdon, and Sophie Neveu through his physical descriptions, then, the writer will describe both characters through their psychological description.
1. The Characteristic of Robert Langdon
Through the novel, Robert Langdon as the main character is physically described as a bookish appeal, and has a charming presence. His style, behavior, and appearance show who he really is. He is a professor of Religious Symbology, Harvard University. He is so brave to show the fact, the statement, which he thinks right. He is a well-known professor who is also smart. He writes a lot of books and usually he gives some seminars about it. He is the author of numerous books: The Symbology of Secret Sects, The Art of Illuminati, The Lost Language of Ideograms, and Religious Iconology. By seeing the physical appearance of Robert Langdon, everyone will notice that he is a smart person.
know Saunière well, he feels that Saunière trusts him to give some explanation to Sophie. Langdon is a sensitive person who is understand someone’s feeling, it is shows when he tries to understand Sophie’s feeling in her situation faced all of her problems, he tries to ask Sophie about her past and tries to explain and giving resolution on her problem, he tries to arrange and correct Saunière acts.
When Langdon saw the photo, his entire body went rigid As Langdon started at the bizarre image, his initial revulsion and shock gave way to a sudden upwelling of anger. “Who would this!” (p.11).
between Langdon and the prisoners, seriously and with some jokes. Langdon explains that the name Monalisa is from the God and Godess’ name, Amon and L’isa.
… “Gentlemen, not only does the face of Mona Lisa look androgynous, but her name is an anagram of the divine union of male and female. And that, my friends, is Da Vinci’s little secret, and the reason for Mona Lisa’s knowing smile.” (p.130).
“The pentacle,” Langdon clarified, “ is a pre-Christian symbol that relates to Nature worship. The ancients envisioned their world in two halves – masculine and feminine. Their gods and goddesses worked to keep a balance of power. Yin and yang. When male and female were balanced, there was harmony in the world. When they were unbalanced, there was chaos.” Langdon motioned to Saunière’s stomach. “This pentacle is representative of the female half of all things – a concept religious historians call the ‘sacred feminine’ or the ‘divine goddess. Saunière, of all people, would know this (p.39-40).
Although Langdon is a smart person, he still has a fright that actually for many people is not common sense. Langdon has his fright because he ever has a frightening event of childhood, Langdon has some phobias of enclosed and narrow spaces, but he can face it without showing his phobias to anyone else, he convinces himself that nothing bad will happen into him because of the narrow space, although actually he cannot stand anymore with it. In the story, the writer finds the scene where Langdon gets his phobias for three times. First, when Langdon in the elevator of Louvre museum, second, when he is in a lift of Depository Bank of Zurich, and third, when he is in a truck together with Sophie, when both of them run out from bank, with Andre Vernet’s help, to run from police.
Langdon exhaled, turning a longing glance back-up the open-air escalator. Nothing’s wrong at all, he lied to himself, trudging back toward the elevator. As a boy, Langdon had fallen down an abandoned well shaft and almost died treading water in the narrow space for hours before being rescued. Since then, he’d suffered a haunting phobia of enclosed spaces – elevators, subways, squash courts. The elevator is perfectly safe machine, Langdon continually told himself, never believing it. It’s a tiny metal box hanging in an enclosed shaft! Holding his breath, he stepped into the lift, feeling the familiar tingle of adrenaline as the doors slid shut (p.26).
museum or still stays to help Sophie to continue to solve the mystery of the code. Saunière has wrote his name in the code, it means that Langdon will be helpful for Sophie to understand the message that left by Saunière. Finally Langdon chooses that he has to help Sophie, he thinks that he can be useful for Sophie to solve the code, although it means that he will be fugitives from justice. Langdon’s dilemma also happened when he has to choose between two choices, when Leigh asks him to join Leigh or against Leigh. If Langdon agrees to join and help Leigh, it means he betrays Sophie, but if he refuses Leigh idea, Leigh will kills both of them.
There was no viable response, Langdon knew. Answer yes, and he would be selling out Sophie. Answer no, and Teabing would have no choice but to kill them both (p.450).
Langdon is a responsible person too because actually he didn’t want to include Leigh Teabing in his problem. He feels guilt that Teabing get difficulties because of him. Langdon also makes a sacrifice for Teabing and Sophie when he has to up against Silas the albino. Langdon feels betray by Leigh Teabing when Langdon knows that Leigh Teabing is the person who become the mastermind of what has happened to Langdon and Sophie and the other victims. Langdon feels shock and didn’t want to believe on what he has already know. When Leigh Teabing betrays Langdon, Langdon cannot trust Leigh anymore, all Leigh has said, become a liar to Langdon. Langdon did not want to believe on Leigh. He feels angry and responsible because he brings Sophie to meet Teabing.
The Democratic ideology also has been hold by Langdon, because he believes that human’s metaphors and allegory can help people survive in their live and be a better people. Although Langdon thinks that actually each religions in the world now are only metaphors and allegories that means that all of that are not real, and every religion and faith in the world are made by human.
… “Religious allegory has become a part of the fabric of reality. And living in that reality helps millions of people cope and be better people.” (p.370).
Langdon’s bravery was proven when he has to challenge and to snap Silas when Sophie and Leigh Teabing arrested by Silas, although his own lives is also in trouble. Langdon snaps Silas that he will break the keystone if Silas do not let Sophie and Leigh get free. Langdon makes sure that Silas is the one who is ambitious to find Grail through Silas killed 4 people to get the cryptex. Langdon also did the same act when he has to face Leigh Teabing. Langdon braves to challenge Leigh.
“I would rather break it,” Langdon said, “than see it in the wrong hands.” (p.390).
Langdon’s high sense of art also shows when he saw Rosslyn Chapel, which his colleagues said that the chapel is become the symbology heaven. Because of Langdon’s embitterment, he braves to ask Sophie’s grandmother the place where the Holy Grail has been hide for long time, and he wants to know if Church presses Saunière not to open the document or not. But finally he knows that Church has nothing to do with some kinds of pressures or murders.
2. The Characteristic of Sophie Neveu
Sophie Neveu is a granddaughter of Jacques Saunière, a well-known curator who has been murdered in the Grand Gallery of Louvre Museum. She is 32 years old, a beautiful and a modern young woman from Paris who works as an agent of DCPJ’s Cryptology Department.
Sophie is a witty person, she was very smart to hold the situation, in this case, she can easily lie to Fache in order to get closes and can speaks to Langdon to give information that Langdon becomes the suspect of the murder. By saying that she has deciphered the numeric code and she brings the message for Langdon from U.S. Embassy, Sophie hopes that Fache will trusts her and allows her to speak with Langdon. Sophie also uses her ideas to make captain Fache understands and did not put his suspicious to Sophie. Sophie has the answer when Fache look suspicious to her. Fache becomes suspicious to Sophie because Sophie said that Langdon needs to contact the U.S. Embassy. Fache thought how can the U.S. Embassy know that Langdon was there, and how come Sophie as the DCPJ Cryptography is being contact by the U.S. Embassy. Sophie’s intelligences was also proven when she answered Fache’s questions about the relevance between the Fibonacci to Saunière’s death. Even, Sophie can answers when Fache asks her if there is no coincidence between Fibonacci and Saunière’s death body, so, why the victim chooses to do all of that, and Fache also asks what the motivation and the meaning of all of that mysterious code.
Sophie has a persuasive characteristic, she makes the others believe on her, and she also can make Langdon believes on her. In order not to make captain Fache becomes suspicious when Langdon will make a phone call, Sophie gives a small slip of paper to Langdon which content the number of Paris phone and extension. Sophie said that the number is for the U.S. Embassy’s message service. But when Langdon becomes confuse that the voice which he heard is Sophie’s voice, Sophie can make Langdon feels sure that the number is the right number. Although Sophie did not know Langdon well, she has feeling that Langdon is a good man, so, she tries to help Langdon and gives the information that he is in danger. Sophie was very brave to say that she has already solved the code when Fache and Langdon still confuse it. Sophie said that the code is only a numeric joke, Sophie also said that the sequence of numbers that Fache have in hands happens to be one of the famous mathematical progressions in history, and those did not mean nothing.
“That message wasn’t for the police. He wrote it for me. I think he was forced to do everything in such a hurry that he just didn’t realize how it would look to the police.” … “The numbered code is meaningless. Saunière wrote it to make sure the investigation included cryptographers, ensuring that I would know as soon as possible what had happened to him.” (p.75-76).
Sophie’s intelligence was also proven in the scene when she and Langdon have to run from police. She can think fast, she is the one who can use her brains in the worse situation, in order not caught by police. She left her SmartCar, buys two tickets to Lille, to deceive the police, so that they will think that both of them go to Lille. Sophie chooses to use taxi to run left the railway station.
Sophie pulled her SmartCar in behind the line of taxis and parked in a red zone despite plenty of legal parking across the street…. She hurried to…taxi … speaking to the driver.… Sophie hand the taxi driver a big wad of cash. The taxi driver nodded…, sped off without them (p.159).
…There was a time when he had meant the world to her, yet tonight, Sophie was surprised to feel almost no sadness for the man. Jacques Saunière was a stranger to her now. Their relationship had evaporated in a single instant one March night when she was twenty – two (p.81).
Sophie has a bad and frightening memory in her past. She lost her family in a car accident when she was four years old. She lost her parents, grandmother, and her younger brother when their car went of a bridge into fast – moving water. She has a box of clippings to confirm about that accident. She really missed her own family. Those made traumatic. Sophie is also a sensitive woman, because she feels that her grandfather tries to speak to her by the cryptex and other codes about solving her emptiness or questions. Sophie keeps her curiosity about the truth of her family. Sophie wants to hide what happened to her and her grandfather in her past, but she tries to be open-minded toward Langdon to understand what her grandfather did actually. Finally Sophie has deeply indebted to Langdon, because Langdon helps her without asking the prize. Sophie feels that she knows her grandfather well now than in the past after she has experience to find the keystone, to solve the code, to understand Sangreal, and to understand the ceremony that her grandfather did which makes Sophie shocked.
“…, I can’t help but think you’ve done everything he would have wanted. You helped me find the keystone, explained the Sangreal, told me about the ritual in the basement.” … “Somehow I feel closer to my grandfather tonight than I have in years. I know he would be happy about that.” (p.368).
Priory of Sion, the oldest surviving secret societies in earth, who guard the ancient secret and also the goddess worship cult. Sophie realized now that Langdon knew more about her grandfather than she had previously imagined. Sophie thought that there is a lot they need to discuss. Sophie reminds her memory of her grandfather to solve the next clue. She finally finds the key that left behind the paint of Madonna of the Rocks. She feels that her grandfather has helped her that night and kept his promises to Sophie to give the key for her to open the box which is contained Saunière’s secret. Sophie felt totally certain she had deciphered her grandfather’s intentions correctly. The masterpiece she was examining was the strange scene Da Vinci had painted virgin Mary sitting with Baby Jesus, John the Baptist, and the Angel Uriel on a perilous outcropping of rocks. When Sophie was a little girl, no trips to the Mona Lisa had been completed without her grandfather dragging her across the room to see this second painting. Sophie thought that her grandfather would not left the message on the painting, because her grandfather did not want to break the masterpiece. Finally Sophie finds the gold key on the ceiling of the masterpiece, on the long cables that dangled from the ceiling to support the masterpiece.
Sophie’s bravery and intelligences was also proven when she has to face the guardian, she threats the guard of the museum by tries to break the painting of Madonna of the Rocks, if the guard does not let Langdon go. When Langdon praises Sophie that Sophie chooses the right painting to threaten the guard, Sophie said that her grandfather is the one who chooses the painting, not herself. She also wants to proof to Langdon that she can find the third clues, after she failed in the first and the second clues.
Sophie is very critical toward something when she faces some problems or cases. It was show when Sophie and Langdon have to solve the code number to open Saunière’s safe-deposit box in the Depository Bank of Zurich. When Langdon shows to Sophie the picture of Saunière’s death body, Langdon shows the ten numbers around the death body, he is sure that the numbers is the code to open the box, but when he was wrong to enter the numbers, Sophie can easily know the right numbers to open the box.
“It’s too random. It’s far too coincidental that this supposedly random account number could be rearranged to form the Fibonacci sequence.” (p.205).
Holy Grail was Mary Magdalene, why did people searching for the documents, why Langdon call it a search for the Holy Grail not a search for secret documents.
Sophie is a kind of woman who cannot easily trust to someone. She puts her suspicious to Leigh Teabing, when Langdon told to Sophie about Leigh Teabing, a man who has spent his life trying to announce the truth about the Holy Grail, but actually the priory’s oath is to keep the truth hidden. Sophie was scared that Teabing will be the same with Andre Vernet who betrays Sophie and Langdon first. Sophie also cannot trust Fache when she has a phone call to London’s police to report the kidnapping of Leigh Teabing to police, and surprisingly she has to speak with Fache. Fache tries to convince Sophie that Sophie and Langdon have to go to police by themselves to give more information, and both of them also in danger. But then Sophie said that Fache actually has to find Remy Legaludec, not Sophie nor Langdon.
“Robert,” …, “you’re certain we can trust this man?” (p.237).
ask her to make cooperate with him to open the “truth” and spreads the Grail together, but Sophie didn’t want to betray her grandfather if she accepts Leigh’s idea.
“My grandfather gave the cryptex to me. I’m sure he thought I could handle the responsibility.” (p.318).
Sophie stared deep into Teabing’s eyes and spoke in a steely tone. “I will never swear an oath with my grandfather’s murderer. Except an oath that I will see you go to prison.” (p.445).
B. The Conflict Revealed in Robert Langdon’s and Sophie Neveu’s Characters
In this part of study, the writer focuses on Robert Langdon’s and Sophie Neveu’s internal conflict and conflict against another person or external conflict. The General conflict is actually the main characters’ conflict against the fate to the ways to seek the truth. In those ways, the main conflict has appeared, the conflict against the another person. By knowing the characterization of the characters and their conflict, the writer can find the message inside of it.
1. Robert Langdon’s and Sophie Neveu’s Internal Conflict
As mentioned in the previous theory, the internal conflict occurs in the character himself or herself without outside forces. The conflict appears between the characters’ feeling and thought.
a. Robert Langdon’s Internal Conflict
him shy. He convinces himself that nothing bad will happen into him because of the narrow space, although actually he cannot stand anymore with it. In the story, the writer finds the scene where Langdon get his phobias for three times. First, when Langdon was in the elevator of Louvre museum, second, when he is in a lift of Depository Bank of Zurich, and third, when he is in a truck together with Sophie, when both of them run out from bank, with Andre Vernet’s help, to run from police.
… Entering the narrow, low-hanging walkways that bordered the courtyard perimeter, Langdon felt the familiar uneasiness he always felt in enclosed spaces. These walkways were called cloisters, and Langdon noted with uneasiness that these particular cloisters lived up to their Latin ties to the word claustrophobic (p.434).
Langdon’s internal conflict is also seen when he did not want to believe that he becomes the suspect of the murder in Saunière case. He can’t understand why he became the suspect if he did not kill Saunière. He feels that there is no proof that made him the suspect, until Sophie Neveu shows him some proves and explanations that made him the suspect of the murder. He was shocked and afraid to hear the news from Sophie.
Langdon wants to help Teabing nor to see the cryptex again, he has to find the right tomb. But unfortunately, Rémy knows the right tomb first than he is.
… I got Leigh involved in this, and I’ll do whatever it takes if there is a chance to help him (p.433).
When someone aimed a gun into Langdon and Sophie, Langdon was really shock to know that his enemy is actually his own friend, Leigh Teabing, who betrays him. Those facts become an internal conflict for him. He cannot believe that a person whom he believes so much is his enemy.
Langdon’s internal conflict happens when he feels confuse and dilemma between two choices that he has to make, when Leigh asks him to join Leigh or against Leigh. If Langdon agrees to join and help Leigh to open the cryptex or the secret and than spreads the secret into the world, it means he betrays Sophie, but if he refuses Leigh idea, Leigh will kill both of them and the secret of history may be close forever.
There was no viable response, Langdon knew. Answer yes, and he would be selling out Sophie. Answer no, and Teabing would have no choice but to kill them both (p.450).
The same inner conflict also happens when Teabing asked Langdon to give the cryptex to Teabing, because Teabing changes his mind not to involve Langdon in his plan. Teabing thinks that Langdon is weak because of a woman, Sophie Neveu.
After Robert Langdon and Sophie Neveu finished their conflict with Leigh Teabing, and made Teabing go to jail, both Langdon and Sophie go to Rosslyn Chapel, a place which is written by Saunière in his cryptex. Actually Langdon is a little bit disappointed by the sentence which is written in the cryptex, because he thinks that inside the crptex, it would be a map which is directly refers to the Holy Grail. But the fact in his hand is only a sentence;‘The Holy Grail neath ancient Roslin waits’ . That sentence does not show where the Holy Grail is. Langdon still has to think what Saunière means by writing the Holy Grail is waiting under the ancient Rosslyn. From the first code that Saunière left, it was clear that he arranged Langdon and Sophie into the Rosslyn, but Langdon confuse why Saunière made the code become more complicated.
… Tonight, however, with the Priory’s keystone offering a verse that pointed directly to this spot, Langdon no longer felt so smug. A perplexing question had been running through his mind all day: Why would Saunière go to such effort to guide us to so obvious a location? There seemed only one logical answer. There is something about Rosslyn we have yet to understand (p.466).
b. Sophie Neveu’s Internal Conflict
Sophie Neveu’s internal conflict happens when she felt guilty for Langdon involved in the death of her grandfather. She has a feeling of sympathy toward Langdon, because she knew that Langdon is not guilty about the murder. She wants to tell Langdon that the message is actually for her, not for the police or Langdon.
Sophie’s internal conflict also appears when she was not confidence with the way she used her idea to help Langdon, she doubts whether Fache will realize that she had not left the Louvre museum. Sophie also doubt that she had done the right thing by cornering Langdon in the Men’s room when Sophie wanted to explain to Langdon what actually happened to both of them.
“What else was I supposed to do?” (p.81)
Sophie’s internal conflict happens when she realized that she is a person who cannot easily forgive someone’s sins to her, especially her grandfather, Saunière, although Saunière has died. She even did not give chance to her grandfather to give her some explanations about the misunderstanding between Sophie and Saunière. She has a negative thinking toward her own grandfather. Sophie also has a bad and frightening memory in her past, because she lost her family in a car accident when she was four years old. She lost her parents, grandmother, and her younger brother when their car went of a bridge into fast – moving water. She has a box of clippings to confirm about that accident. She really missed her own family. Those made her traumatic and internal conflict in herself that always appear in her mind.
Sophie’s internal conflict occurs when she felt guilt and sad for her grandfather. She feels deep sad and guilt why she did not give her forgiveness for her grandfather, and did not give Saunière chances to explain the misunderstanding between them.
Sophie’s internal conflict occurs when Langdon asked Sophie to tell her experiences in the past that made Sophie hate her grandfather. Actually Sophie wants to hide what had happened to her and her grandfather in her past, because she thinks that the things in the past on what Saunière did was an embarrassing thing, but she tries to tell Langdon the misunderstanding between her and Saunière. Still in telling her experiences, Sophie remembered what had happened in her past, her internal conflict when she become mad with her grandfather, because she saw unusual ceremony, the sex-ritual done by her own grandfather.
… her eyes willing with emotion. “I don’t know what I saw.” She wiped her eyes and then nodded, seeming to open up a little. “The women were in white gossamer gowns… with golden shoes. They held golden orbs. The men wore black tunics and black shoes (p.334).
Sophie feels doubt when she called the London’s Police to report that Teabing has been arrested by Rémy and Silas. It becomes Sophie internal conflict, actually she afraid if London’s Police will not believe on her. She tries to think any possibilities that make Rémy and Silas become the suspect of the murder and they have to be catch and to be known by police.
As the call went through, Sophie began wondering if the police would even believe her description of Teabing’s captors. A man in a tuxedo. How much easier to identify could a suspect be? Even if Rémy changed clothes, he was partnered with an albino monk. Impossible to miss. Moreover, they had a hostage and could not take public transportation. She wondered how many Jaguar stretch limos there could be in London. (p.396).
before, and Sophie felt that so, but she did not know why she felt like she was ever go to that chapel before, long time ago. Langdon told her that was impossible that Sophie was ever go to that place before, because there were so many places that look like chapel Rosslyn. But Sophie ignored his explanations, she felt very close with that place, and then she realized that she had a strong memory with her grandfather in chapel Rosslyn. Suddenly she felt so sad because that place made her reminded her past.
… , the memories came flooding back. She was recalling her first visit here, and strangely, the memories conjured an unexpected sadness (p.470).
2. Robert Langdon’s and Sophie’s Neveu’s External Conflict
Robert Langdon’s external conflict reveals in the conversation between him and captain Fache, when Langdon explained about the pentacle on Saunière’s body, Fache was disagreed with Langdon’s explanations about the real meaning of pentacle which is the meaning in Fache thought is the symbol of devil. Again, Langdon has the conflict against Fache when Langdon stated that it was make sense that Saunière might have chosen to express his disappointment in his final good-bye, but again, Fache was disagreed with Langdon statement.
“I assure you,” Langdon said, “despite what you see in the movies, the pentacle’s demonic interpretation is historically inaccurate. The original feminine meaning is correct, but the symbolism of the pentacle has been distorted over the millennia. In this case, through bloodshed.” (p.41).
Sophie also has a conflict with Fache when she said that Langdon has to call the U.S. Embassy because Langdon has a message from the States. Fache actually did not believe on what Sophie has said, so, Fache tried to ask her how could the U.S. Embassy know that Langdon is in the museum.
Again, Sophie tries to tell Fache that Saunière, in his final moments of life, has been inspired to leave a mathematical joke. Fache does not understand what Sophie has said to him, he event does not like Sophie’s did when she come without permission in the museum.
Sophie’s soft features grew surprisingly stern as she leaned in. “Captain, considering what you have at stake here tonight, I thought you might appreciate knowing that Jacques Saunière might be playing games with you. Apparently not. I’ll inform the director of Cryptography you no longer need our services. (p.67).
Sophie Neveu also has a conflict with a security warden, Claude Grouard, when the security caught Sophie and Langdon in the museum, while Sophie and Langdon tried to seek the thing which Saunière left to solve the code. The security brings the gun and tries to make Sophie and Langdon didn’t go anywhere while he waited any help from other security. Sophie is clever to threat the security that she will break the painting of Madonna of the Rocks if the security did not put his gun down.
“Set down your gun and radio,” the woman said in calm French, “or I’ll put my knee through this painting. I think you know how my grandfather would feel about that.” (p.143).
Sophie and Langdon also have to face Andre Vernet, a banker of the Depository Bank of Zurich. First, Sophie and Langdon think that Andre will be useful for them to help them out from the bank while the police come to the bank, but they become realize that Andre is not trying to help them, but want to have the box which Sophie and Langdon bring out from the bank. By the pretext to protect his client’s assets, Andre act like an innocent people and a hero of Saunière and police. Sophie and Langdon feel betrayed by Andre Vernet.
“I’m afraid I must insist,” Vernet said, training the weapon on the two of them in the back of the idling truck. “Set the box down.” (p.226).
him that it was a private matter, Rémy asked them to come again in the morning, because his master was still sleep and in poor health. When Langdon said that he brought some information about the Grail and cannot wait until in the morning, Rémy finally allows them to come in.
Again, when Leigh Teabing knew that Langdon and Sophie were looked by Police, and they had cheated him, Leigh become mad, and asked Sophie and Langdon out from his mansion. Rémy is also involved with their conflict. He threats to call the police. Fortunately, Langdon and Sophie can handle the situation by apologize to Leigh Teabing and tell him that they know the information about the keystone, and also tell him that Langdon is an innocent about the murder.
“Sir?” The manservant had appeared now, standing behind Teabing in the study doorway, his arms crossed. “Shall I show them out?” (p.284).
When Langdon, Sophie and Teabing have a discussion about the keystone, there is an albino man named Silas come in the room with a gun in his hand, he hits Langdon’s head, and direct his gun into Sophie and Teabing, he forces to ask the keystone from Teabing’s hand. Fortunately, Teabing did not let him go, by hit Silas foot, Teabing can defeat Silas.
Teabing’s tone was defiant. “You will not be able to open it.” (p.299).
answer to answering Leigh Teabing’s question, and Langdon helps Sophie too. Sophie said that she will know on what she will do if they can open the keystone, if the time is right.
“Gentlemen,” Sophie said, her voice firm. “To quote your words, ‘You do not find the Grail, the Grail finds you.’ I am going to trust that the Grail has found me for a reason, and when the time comes, I will know what to do.” (p.320).
Langdon, Sophie and Teabing also have to face an altar boy in the Temple Church when they want to come in the Temple Church to seek the grave which has no orb on it, to find the place of Grail. The altar boy did not let they come in the Temple Church, because the time when the Temple Church is open, is at nine-thirty. Fortunately, Teabing can cheat him by telling that Langdon and Sophie are Mr. and Mrs. Christopher Wren IV, who were the Temple Church’s most famous benefactor and had made possible all the restoration following damage caused by the Great Fire, so, they have rights to come in the Temple Church whenever they want. Teabing acts like he knows Father Knowles, the Father of the Temple Church, he even knows that the time when Father Knowles come was not same with the time when Teabing, Langdon and Sophie come, so, they will not meet Father Knowles, and the altar boy will let they in without any permission from Father Knowles, because he has no time to ask permission from Father Knowles.
Teabing feels angry with the altar boy, because he disturbs them. Teabing acts like the altar boy has disturbed them, and acts impolite to them. In this case, Sophie becomes afraid if the altar boy recognizes Langdon, because the altar boy says that he ever saw Langdon before but he never met Langdon. Teabing still tries to convince him that of course the altar boy have ever saw Langdon because Mr. Wren always come to the Temple Church once in a year. Langdon also tries to convince the altar boy that they ever met last year but father Knowles does not formally introduce him to the altar boy. Langdon asks the altar boy to give him time to spread the ashes between the funerals. But unfortunately, the altar boy says that the statue is not the funeral, but only statue, the stone tributes the real men. The altar boy explain that only in the outdated history books, that the statue was believed as funerals but when there was renovation in the Temple Church, there was nothing under the statue. Then, the altar boy put his suspicious into Langdon. He thinks that Langdon should know about his explanation.
Or perhaps, Sophie now feared, because he saw Langdon on television at the Vatican last year. (p.383).
Rémy is entering the space when Silas is threatening Langdon, Sophie, and Teabing with the gun in his hand, and force Langdon to give the crptex to Silas. Teabing looked very shocked to see Rémy threat him and his friends. Langdon feels confuse, why Rémy wants the keystone if that is worthless to Rémy, Langdon even thinks that Rémy cannot open the cryptex and solve the code. Rémy told Langdon that he has shared the information about the keystone to someone else who is knows much better about Grail than Langdon, and he even told Langdon that they have looked for the wrong place.
“We’re taking Mr. Teabing for a drive,” Rémy said, still backing up. “If you call the police, he will die. If you do anything to interfere, he will die. Is that clear?” (p.390).
know the password. But Teabing is still tries to force Langdon to help him by direct his gun into Sophie and tell him that Langdon is still alive now because of Teabing’s help.
“You?” Sophie declared, glancing up now, her green eyes boring into him with rage and realization. “You are the one responsible for my grandfather’s murder?” (p.438).
Thus, Sophie realized that the betrayal happened in the Temple Church is lead by Leigh Teabing, that all the scenario experienced by Sophie, her grandfather and Langdon was made by Teabing. She becomes much angry with Teabing.
Teabing tries to ask Langdon and Sophie to follow his plan, to open the truth and spread the truth into the whole world. But Sophie’s principle refuse Teabing’s plans, she does not want to work together with someone who has killed her grandfather.
… “I will never swear an oath with my grandfather’s murderer. Except an oath that I will see you go to prison.” (p.445).
