Da Vinci Code- Quarter # 4

Novel Summary Sheet ~Quartering the Text ~

Your name: Hanna Schmidt              Quarter # 4

Novel Name: The Da Vinci Code

Author’s last name: Brown

  1. Skeletal plot (Point form only- keep this short but insightful):

– Robert, Langdon and Teabing crack the second code and head to a crypt to discover what the pass code to the cryptex is

- Teabing fakes his own kidnapping, kills is manservant Remy, and we discover that he is 'The Teacher'

– Teabing tries to get Langdon to betray Sophie and their quest by helping him find the pass code to the cryptex

– Silas is almost caught by the police, and ends up shooting Aringarosa- who he loved and admired

– Sophie finds her family, that she thought was dead, in the church they were finally sent to§   Conflict or “tension” eg person vs person, or (internal) person vs self; Is this important to the novel’s theme or purpose? Circle one  and explain:

yes  or  No

Explanation: There is definitely a lot of tension in this quarter of the novel. The highest point of tension is between Robert Langdon and Sophie Neveu when Sophie believes that Robert is betraying her when he is really trying to get her to safety before trying to continue on with their mission. After this there is also a lot of tension between Robert and Teabing because Robert and Sophie have just found out that he has actually been lying to them, but Teabing still wants the two to help him, which creates a tense atmosphere in the last couple of chapters. This is very important to the novel’s theme because it shows

 

2. Setting (When & where does various parts of your novel take place-how are theses places important to the character or the theme of your work?):

The last quarter takes place in many different locations, they go to 2 churches in England, and there are also some minor scenes where Silas is in Opus Dei headquarters. These locations add to the general theme of the novel because they are all very sinister and deeply religious places, one feels that something significant could happen at any time because of the setting. For example in one of the churches that they visit, they describe it as being empty, and dark, and they describe some sinister looking characters in the church, because of these we immediately think that something terrible could happen to the characters.

 

3. Characters (Know your character types and why this is important to your novel! (Eg. Are they round/flat-why?/static/dynamic-why?) How many characters do you meet in this quarter or do you find more about their personalities? #?
We do not meet any more new characters, but we find out a lot more about character’s personalities.  We learn about Sophie’s past even more, and we understand that what has happened to her, and what she has discovered about her family has affected her as a person, and has changed her forever. We also learn more about Teabing, and the many complicated layers he has, he has appeared to be the innocent old man who is just interested in the grail, but he also is basically the man behind the entire scheme to find the Grail (including being responsible for numerous killings etc.) 

 

 

4. Point Of View~ Circle one!: 1st person    3rd person/limited   omniscient   or    omniscient  

§   Why do you think the writer chose this point of view to develop plot character or themes?

The point of view of this story is omniscient; we know all the thoughts of every character. This has helped us to understand the characters more than we would have been able to if the point of view was first or third person. The author probably chose to do this because he was able to go further into peoples thoughts, and we learn so much more about each character and their relation to the story. It makes the story a more enjoyable read because we feel like we actually know the characters, and it actually adds to the suspense because one character’ thoughts can change from one minute to the next.

5.Notables on writer’s style and structure!

§   Are there similes or metaphors? Record a quote:

“Langdon felt like Alice falling head long into the rabbit hole” (Pg 432)

§   Visual or other imagery? Record a quote: “Gazing up at the stark edifice framed against a cloud-swept sky..” (Pg 432)

§   Is there unusual vocabulary or diction? Record a quote: “The mug of potent Brazilian coffee in his hand had granted him a hazy reprieve from his mounting exhaustion, and yet ne sensed the reprieve would be fleeting.” (Pg 432)

§   Is the novel structured with a particular idea? Record a quote or explain The novel is structured around the idea of the Holy Grail; how women are smart and strong, and how blood (family) brings people together: “For centuries, this stone chapel had echoed with whispers of the Holy Grail’s presence.”

§   Is there dialogue & is it realistic? Record a quote:
“It was a car accident,” Sophie Stammered, feeling the childhood pain welling inside her. “An accident!” (Pg 408)

 

 

6.  Themes: Record words and topics related to themes contained and developed in your novel:

·  Grail, blood

·   masculine, feminine, fusion

·  unity, star of David

·  goddess

·  codes, symbols hidden  

·  religion, faith in the unknown

7. Personal Response to this quarter: what you thought or felt, related to, did not relate to; how universal is the experience that your protagonist goes through?

I really enjoyed this quarter, although it was more of a chance to wrap the story up, it was still really exciting! We discovered that Teabing was working against Robert and Sophie the entire time, and that Sophie’s family is actually alive, but had to be separated from her and her grandfather so people would think they were dead and so Sophie could maybe lead a normal and safe life. The quarter started out really exciting, and although the excitement was constant throughout the whole quarter, there was a feeling of the adventure “ending” and of things winding down. I really enjoyed Sophie’s reunion with her family, it was totally unexpected, and it wasn’t too sappy either, it was really well written and quite touching. It is something that anyone can relate to; being united with people you love. This quarter was very exciting, and I really enjoyed the wrap=up to the story, it was unexpected but one could definitely see how it could happen.