Monday 18 March 2019

Post-viewing task: The Da Vinci Code

This Blog is a part of my classroom thinking activity given by Professor Dr. Dilip Barad in which students have to interpret given points. Here is the blog link of professor's worksheet click here.



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. I disagree to the point of Dan Brown because the novel has anti religion elements like Mary Magdalene. As we all know that Jesus was unmarried and Magdalene is just fictional character why writers like Brown explore his own thought. It is all about nonsense kind of thing. The code and painting is only a piece of art it has nothing like any religious code and symbols. If people are saying that Council of Nicea created whole the thing about Jesus then somewhat they are right because Jesus was only a messenger of God not God himself and Jesus neither married nor had any kind of relation and children. So, here Writer shows Sophie the character in the book as a Magdalene descendant is not true. So, according to me it is anti Christian novel and writers keep on writing about anti religions for limelight and popularity.


2) “Although it is obvious that much of what Brown presented in his novel as absolutely true and accurate is neither of those, some of that material is of course essential to the intrigue, and screenwriter Akiva Goldsman has retained the novel's core, the Grail-related material: the sacred feminine, Mary Magdalene's marriage, the Priory of Sion, certain aspects of Leonardo's art, and so on[1].” How far do you agree with this observation of Norris J. Lacy?

Dan Brown said that this is the novel for entertainment. What are the things presented by him it can be wrong,not true. He also present use of technology here which one can not find in reality. It is his imagination power which present that this is not true one. Here he tries to look with his own perspective towards the religion and give his ideas.


3) 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.

If we look towards these three text by its style of genre of narration than, “The Da Vinci Code” is more convincing to the contemporary young mind than “Genesis” and “”The Paradise Lost”. “Genesis” (The Bible) is written as words of God, where there is no space to question anything which seems totally foolish or unbelievable. “The Paradise Lost” (John Milton) tries to give some different personality to the characters of “Genesis”. But it still shows the fear of God. When we talk about “The Da Vinci Code” (Dan Brown) he is trying to free human being from blind faith in religion. It also tries to give logical reasons (though not fact) to convince the readers. Other texts are trying to show God as divine but “The Da Vinci Code” is trying to show God as human being who has done good deeds. It tries to says that religion is made by human being, for the betterment of human being according to the ancient time, and if there is necessity we can make change according to the recent time. So, “The Da Vinci Code” is more convincing to the contemporary mind.

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?

If we go in history then we can find that in Christianity is rise then we find that The Lost of Constantinople then Rome become powerful and after that we see that pop become more powerful than King and suddenly we find that pop become more rigid region and also the church are become more powerful by wealth and other way to become a puppet of pop and one more thing was that pop very great life and they started new way to kill people and that new weapon was religion and rule and regulation by that they have kill lots of poor people and also a woman the call women as a witch and they burn in public place and in the dark ages Christianity has sorrel Crusade will happen that's why they have lost so many people normal people are also kill on the name of religion.In Brown's novel we find that one of the character who is historian and he spend his whole life to know the secret of holy grill and he want to explore the darker side of Christianity and he want to destroy the power of church and you want to explore that how charge has done bad thing with humanity that's why he want to preserve humanity.

5) What is difference do you see in the portrayal of 'Ophelia' (Kate Winslet) in Kenneth Branagh's Hamlet, 'Elizabeth' (Helena Bonham Carter) in Kenneth Branagh's Mary Shelley's Frankenstein or 'Hester Prynne' (Demi Moore) in Roland Joffé's The Scarlet Letter' or David Yates's 'Harmione Granger' (Emma Watson) in last four Harry Potter films - and 'Sophie Neuve' (Audrey Tautau) in Ron Howard's The Da Vinci Code?

There's much difference in portrayal of women characters in films and novels. Ophelia, we can see that her character is objectified, as it is the character of Elizabeth also, there is no such scenes between Frankenstein and her. So in the film, there is a close up of lovemaking scenes which remains very minor in the novel. As it is Demi Moore as Haster Prynne in the Scarlet letter, also objectified as her appearance of her whole body. In Harry Potter, the scenes between Hermione and Ron is worthless. Where as in Ron Howard's Da Vinci no nudity at all. Director remains faithful to the novel and cinematic goal is achieved.

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?

Yes, these kinds of novel and film leads us into critical thinking. We can find the lose stone about religious theory, there is no proof about the relation between Jesus and Mary Magdalene as they are husband and wife. Chapel do not have code about Mary but it's deaide and the picture of music. As it is in Hindu religion also some ideas about religion which needs to critical thinking. The Ramayana is a myth so it raises the question that it actual or just myth to keep everyone's faith in the religion.

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