Character Analysis: The Da Vinci Code

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The Da Vinci Code is a mystery-detective novel authored by Dan Brown, which is primarily set in Paris, France and London, England. Robert Langdon, the novel’s main male protagonist, is a Harvard Professor of art history and religious symbology. As the novel begins, Langdon is set to meet with Jacques Saunière - the curator of the Louvre but unfortunately, Saunière is murdered in the Grand Hall of the Louvre right before they are scheduled to meet. This sets numerous wheels into motion that play out through the course of the novel.

Langdon unwittingly gets tied up in the murder investigation of the curator and through the investigation; he meets up with Sophie Neveu – the French National Police cryptographer – who ‘happens’ to be the curator’s …show more content…

Each character plays a vital role in the progression of the story as well as the development of recurring themes throughout. Langdon and Neveu’s journey allows the reader to consider the theme of misconception and mystery as well as the idea of secrecy, which runs throughout the novel. Langdon and Neveu are forced to tackle exciting and different kinds of codes and cryptography in Ancient and Foreign Languages. These challenges allow Langdon to educate Neveu as well as the reader in large amounts of information concerning religions, symbols, history, and the story of the Holy Grail.

Sophie Neveu also embodies the idea of the ‘Sacred Feminine’ figure, which is of central importance to the plot of the novel in the search for the Holy Grail and what it means. Another important character is Sir Leigh Teabing, who is a British Royal Historian, a Knight of the Realm, Grail scholar, and thought to be a friend of Langon. Teabing’s true identity is one of the secrets that is only revealed towards the end of the novel. It is one of the many twists in this novel that causes the reader to question who and what can actually be trusted. The novel is thus unpredictable, which makes it unique and

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