The Messages As Revealed by the Main Characters and the Conflicts of Dan Brown's the Da Vinci Code
PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
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 PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
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
i PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
ii PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
iii PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
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)
iv PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
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.
v PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
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
vi PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
TABLE OF CONTENTS
TITLE PAGE ……………………………………………………………….. i APPROVAL PAGE ……………………………………………………….. ii ACCEPTANCE PAGE ……………………………………………….. iii MOTTO PAGE ……………………………………………………………… iv DEDICATION PAGE ………………………………………………………. v ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ………………………………………………… vi TABLE OF CONTENTS …………………………………………………… vii ABSTRACT ………………………………………………………………… ix ABSTRAK ………………………………………………………………….. x
CHAPTER I : INTRODUCTION …………………………………………. 1 A. Background of the Study …………………………………… 1 B. Problem Formulation …………………………………… 5 C. Objective of the Study ……………………………………… 6 D. Definition of Terms …………………………………….. 6
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
vii PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
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 )
viii PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
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.
ix PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
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.
x PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
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.
1 PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
2
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.
In order to make the story flows interestingly and seems lively, there are many aspects constituting the story. One of them that become the important aspects is character. It is important because the story exist because of any characters in it, so, if there are no characters in the story, it is not a novel. Characters become the main part of the story. The characters generally express the actions and the dialogue from the beginning of the story until the ending parts. By this thesis, the writer wants to discuss the character of the story in the novel The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown. The discussion will emphasize on the description of the main character through his dialogue and his act also his conflicts to reveal the message. PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
3
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.
From the main character of the story and its content, the writer chooses The
Da Vinci Code as the object of this thesis because the writer can get and learn something valuable more than the work itself, that is, by the possible messages appears in the story. The second reason for choosing Dan Brown’s The Da Vinci PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
4
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.
The story was written by Dan Brown who was born on June 22, 1964. Brown spent his childhood in Exeter, New Hampshire. In 1982, he graduated from Philips
Exeter Academy, and he also graduated from Amherst College. Together with his siblings, in 2004, they donated $2.2 million to the Philips Academy to honor their father who had taught there for 35 years. He returned to New Hampshire in 1993 and become an English teacher at his old school. Dan Brown and his wife, Blythe, an art historian, wrote 187 Men to Avoid: A Guide for the Romantically Frustrated Woman in the 1995. She also accompanied Dan Brown and collaborates on his research to
Paris, where they spent time in the Louvre museum for his thriller The Da Vinci
Code. Dan Brown became a full-time writer in the following year in 1996. Because of his interest in code-breaking and covert government agencies led him to write his first novel, the first thriller, Digital Fortress, which became a #national bestselling book.
Later, he wrote Angel and Demons and Deception Point. In March 2003, The Da
Vinci Code was published and sold 6,000 copies on the first day. The book is now reported has sold more than 50 million copies worldwide, but still keeps growing until now and being adapted for film by Columbia Picture. The Da Vinci Code became an International best-seller novel and the fastest-selling adult novel and has reputedly earned Dan Brown around £140 million. In the early 2004, all four of Dan
Brown’s novels held spots on the New York Times bestseller list during the same PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
5
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?
3. What are the messages that the author wants to convey as revealed in the main
characters and the conflicts?
PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
6
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).
The characters will have particular personalities and physical attributes that distinguish them from other characters. PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
7
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).
In A Handbook to literature, Holman and Harmon define conflict as the struggle that grows out of the interplay of the two opposing forces in the plot.
Conflict may be an argument between opposing forces, like man against man, nature, fate, society or perhaps the internal one between the two opposing parts of man’s personality (1986:107). PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
8
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
Sinclair in Collins Cobuild Essential Dictionary defines moral as “principles and values based on what a person or society believes are right or acceptable ways of behaving.” It can also be something that concerned with what people’s behavior and believe is right or acceptable rather than what the law says should be done
(1988:500).
PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
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.
9 PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
10
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.
Roger B. Henkle in Reading the Novel, states that character can be described as major and minor. Major characters are the most important and complex characters.
They can be identified as such through the complexity of their characterization, the
PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
11
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).
In Reading and Writing about Literature by Mary Rohberger and Samuel
Woods, when a protagonist is involved in a conflict with other character, the other character is called antagonist. Whereas, conflict is not confined to a struggle between
PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
12
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).
According to Perrine in his book Literature: Structure, Sound and Sense says:
PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
13
“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).
According to Holman and Harmon in A Handbook to Literature, conflict is the struggle that grows out of the interplay of the two opposing focus in the plot.
They also state that conflicts may occur in the struggle against nature, against another person, against society, and the struggle for mystery. Conflicts may be an argument between opposing forces, like man against man, man against nature, man against fate
PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
14
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.
According to Kenny in How to Analyze Fiction, when people are talking about message, they are also discussing about moral. It can be said briefly that generally moral means a teaching of good and bad (1966:89). But, this opinion in
PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
15
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
Direct form of message means that the message in conveyed directly. The author seems to teach the reader, and directly gives his advice. This form can make the readers understand what the author means easily. The readers do not find any difficulties to interpret the message of the work by themselves.
PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
16
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.
The writer used the theories on character and characterization because it is important for us to really understand the character in the novel before we learn more deeply about the messages. Through the characters, the writer wants to say something, such as wisdom, bravery, honesty, patiently, intelligence, knowledge, sensitivity, forgiveness and understanding others, and sympathetic.
PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
17
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.
PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
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.
18 PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
19
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.
The writer thought that the objective criticism is really suitable for analyzing this study which intends to analyze two of the intrinsic elements of the novel that is analyzing the main characters and conflict to reveal the message. PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
20
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.
There were some steps that the writer did in analyzing the novel. First was reading the novel for several times to get deeper understanding on the content of the story. Secondly, the writer chooses the topic for the analysis and then formulating the problems that are going to lead the writer to the content of the study. Thirdly, the writer decided the appropriate approach for the study. The fourth step was collecting the data from the other sources. The fifth step was answering the problem formulation by showing some evidence from the data collected. The last step, was taking conclusion based on the analysis. PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
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.
21 PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
22
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.
As a human being, Langdon also has sympathy to those who are ill-treated, although he never meets them. When Langdon heard that Jacques Saunière was murdered by someone, and saw the photo, he feels a deep sense of loss and feels angry to the murder. Langdon’s sympathy also happened when he thought that according to Saunière, he could be useful for Sophie to explain to her about the truth and the fact that made them separate each other. Although actually Langdon does not
PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
23
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).
Because of Langdon’s intelligence, he easily knows that someone gives him a snare question. When the agent asked him a question about the France pyramid,
Langdon gives some explanations about the history of the pyramid in France, without answering the real question, because if Langdon states that the pyramid is bad, it means that he insults France people, but if he states that the pyramid is good, it means that his sense of art is not really good. Langdon said that the late president of France,
François Mitterrand have suffered from a “Pharaoh Complex”, fanatic with Egyptian culture, so, the late president fills Paris with Egyptian obelisks, art, and artifacts.
Beside a smart person, Langdon has an ambition to write something that is controversial, that he thinks right, to show the fact, by being an author of controversial book. Beside his intelligence and ambitions, he is also a type of man who has a sense of humor, and he is also care about the life of prisoner in jail. It is proven when he gives a seminar in the Essex County Penitentiary, without being scared to many prisoners in prison he explains the picture of Monalisa for some prisoner. The seminar becomes interesting when there were some discussions
PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
24
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).
Again, Langdon shows his brilliant when he tried to solve the symbols around
Mr. Saunière’s body, he can explain to Captain Fache the real meaning of the symbols which had already become wrong interpretation as a Devil worship.
Langdon said that the symbol is a pentacle, which has a lot of means nowadays, for example used as a symbol of hatred and racism in United States, and religious faith in
Spain, but Langdon convinces that actually the meaning of the symbol primarily is a pagan religious symbols. Langdon’s brilliant brain is also show in the scene where
Langdon still has to face captain Fache. Langdon admires the beauty of woman that has been describes by Venus as goddess. Although Langdon is a gentleman, he is one of the feminist who always try to protect women. It is shows when Langdon by using his knowledge explains to Fache about the pentacle which is related to Venus as
Goddess of female sexual love and beauty, not devil worship. As a professor,
Langdon was very smart to defense his statements against Fache. Langdon is a stubborn man who did not want to lose when he has to argue his statements against somebody. Langdon assures Fache that all of the information about pentacle in the movie is wrong. Finally Langdon knows the code to open the final cryptex, that actually the code itself is already existed in the first clue.
PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
25
“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).
When Langdon has a chance to run out from the museum into the U.S. embassy even without Sophie, he feels dilemma, whether he has to run out left the
PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
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.
“Let Sophie leave,” Langdon declared, staring at Leigh. “You and I should discuss this alone.” (p.441).
PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
27
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.
“But if the Sangreal documents remain hidden, the story of Mary Magdalene will be lost forever,” Langdon said (p.479).
PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
28
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.
… “Absolutely nothing. That’s the point. It’s a simplistic cryptographic joke. Like taking the words of a famous poem and shuffling them at random to see if anyone recognizes what all the words have in common.” (p.67).
PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
29
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.
Sophie has a feeling of sympathy toward Langdon, because she knew that
Langdon is not guilty about the murders. She wants to tell Langdon that the message is actually for her, not for the police or Langdon. Sophie was confidence that the code is for her. She uses her intelligences idea to solve the code. She has a talent of cryptogram, because she was growing up with her grandfather, Jaques Saunière who teach her about cryptography, so, it is easy to her to know that the code is only a message for her, although she did not know the reason why her grandfather involves
Langdon in the code.
PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
30
“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).
Sophie is a type of person who cannot easily forgive someone’s sins to her, especially to her grandfather, Saunière, although Saunière has died. She even didn’t give chances to her grandfather to give her some explanations about the misunderstanding between Sophie and Saunière when Sophie still in the age of twenty two on March night, Sophie saw the sex ritual that did by her grandfather.
Although Saunière has tried to give Sophie some explanations by letters and packages over the past ten years, she even did not want to open it, and when her grandfather wants to see her, she denies. She has a negative thinking toward her own grandfather.
But finally Sophie feels guilty and sad for her own grandfather. She really feels sad and guilt why she did not give her forgiveness for her grandfather, and did not give
Saunière chances to explain the misunderstandings between them.
PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
31
…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).
Sophie realizes that she cannot solve the code by herself without any helps from Langdon, when Langdon explains to her that the initial P.S is not only Sophie’s initial name for Princess Sophie, but further it is for the logo of Prieuré de Sion – the
PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
32
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.
… In that instant, Sophie felt the ghost of her grandfather whispered in her ear. When the time comes, the key will be yours. A tightness gripped her throat as she realized that her grandfather, even in death, had kept his promise. This key opens a box, his voice as saying, where I keep many secrets. Sophie now realized that the entire purpose of tonight’s word game had been this key. Her grandfather had it with him when he was killed. Not wanting it to fall into the hands of the police, he had it behind this painting. Then he devised an ingenious treasure hunt to ensure only Sophie would find it (p.142).
PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
33
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).
Sophie gives some critical questions to Teabing and Langdon, when Teabing and Langdon give her some explanations about the Holy Grail and the Bible. She asks who chooses which gospels to include, and why did a Pagan emperor choose
Christianity as the official religion. She also asks what is the used of a documented genealogy of Christ bloodline, because there is no proof of its authenticity, the historian cannot prove all of it. To finish her curious, Sophie also asks Langdon, if the
PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
34
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).
Sophie is very responsible in doing her duties. When Teabing asked her about how far Sophie can holds her responsibilities to keep the keystone of Holy Grail,
Sophie assured that she can be responsible to do the duties that her grandfather gave to her. It also shows when she faces the conflicts between herself and Langdon against Teabing. She persisted in her stands that her grandfather gives the cryptex to her, it is not for Teabing nor Langdon. It is better to break the cryptex than seeing the cryptex own by the wrong man. Sophie is a kind of woman who has a princip, although her own live is in danger. Leigh Teabing, with the gun in his hand, tries to
PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
35
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
Robert Langdon’s internal conflict happens when he remembered the frightening event of his childhood. He has some phobias of closed and narrow spaces.
But he can face his phobias by not showing his phobias to anyone else that will make
PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
36
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.
When Langdon has to face the problem that Leigh Teabing becomes the hostage of Rémy and Silas, Langdon feels quilt and responsible to what had happened. Thus, becomes Langdon’s internal conflict because he involved Leigh
Teabing who is not guilt to his problem. But Langdon suddenly understands that it makes sense that Rémy will betray Teabing, because the better way to get the Grail is tries to close to someone who knows about Grail and always tries to seek the Grail. If
PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
37
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.
He could see the dark resolve in Teabing’s face and knew the moment was upon them. When I set this down, he will kill us both. Even without looking at Sophie, he could hear her heart beseeching him in silent desperation. Robert, this man is not worthy of the Grail. Please do not place it in his hands. No matter what the cost (p.455).
PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
38
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.
“…, Mr. Langdon, I believe you are innocent.” … “And also because it is partially my fault that you are in trouble.” (p.75).
PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
39
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 eyes were a deep green now, tearful. “He raised me like his own daughter.”… It was remorse. Distant and deep. Sophie Neveu had sunned her grandfather and was now seeing him in an entirely different light (p.341).
PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
40
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).
After Sophie and Robert Langdon finished their conflict with Leigh Teabing, both Sophie and Langdon go to Chapel Rosslyn, Langdon was never go to that place
PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
41
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).
Sophie remembers and feels more certain when she saw the stone house in the fields, she was sure that she was ever goes to that place before with her grandfather. It is become her inner conflict when she saw an old woman inside the stone house, she feels that she knows her, and even, she does not know why she feels that an old lady is her grandmother that as far as she knows her grandmother has already died in a car accident together with her young brother and her parents. Some feelings of sadness, surprised, and happiness mix around her feelings. And she feels that so when she finally knows that a young man whom she met in the chapel is her own young brother who is still alive. Actually it was become her sadness because she feels doubt why her grandparents should lie to her and her brother about the existence of her family.
She becomes understand and feels happy when her grandmother, Marie, told her what has happened in the past, about their family and the reason why her grandparents should keep the secret.
PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
42
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).
PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
43
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).
Robert Langdon also has a conflict with Rémy Legaludec, Leigh Teabing’s servant, when Langdon wanted to meet Leigh Teabing, Remy tried to obscure
Langdon and Sophie to come in the Château Villette, Leigh Teabing’s mansion.
Rémy asks them their purpose to come in Leigh’s mansion, but when Langdon told
PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
44
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).
When Sophie, Langdon and Leigh Teabing have a conversation about what they will do if they can open the keystone, Sophie seems disagree with Leigh Teabing on his idea that they must inform the content of Grail into the world. Again, Leigh still forces his idea to Sophie and Langdon, but by her intelligence, Sophie has the
PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
45
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.
Still in the conflict between Teabing, Langdon and Sophie to face the altar boy of the Temple Church, the altar boy put his suspicious into them, because, as far as he saw them, they just sightseeing, not spread the ashes as they told him before.
PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
46
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).
Langdon, Sophie and Teabing were shocked when suddenly Silas also came, brought his gun and directed it to Sophie’s back. Silas forces to ask the keystone to them. Langdon asks him to let Sophie and Teabing go, Langdon threats to break the keystone if Silas does not allow what Langdon has said to him. Knowing that Silas get the difficulties to ask the cryptex, Rémy take an action to help Silas, to make everything is faster, although his acts is out of plan from his master. Surprisingly,
PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
47
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.
Actually, Langdon does not want to give the cryptex to Silas nor Rémy, he prefers to break the cryptex than to give the cryptex to the wrong person. But
Unfortunately, Rémy knows Langdon weakness by threats to kill Leigh Teabing,
Langdon best friend. Langdon feels that Leigh is not quilt, so Leigh Teabing is not deserves to be killed because of him. Teabing also changes Langdon minds by telling that the thing which Langdon brings is the Grail, and he also said that Rémy will not kill him. Rémy makes they scare by shoots the ceiling and tells the next shooting is for Leigh Teabing. So, Langdon gives the cryptex to Silas, although Rémy and Silas still bring Leigh Teabing as their hostage. Sophie vexed who is actually the header of all the events that they have to face. Rémy is Leigh Teabing’s servant, but how could he wants to kill Teabing, his master. She tries to ask Rémy, but Rémy does not give her the answer. He still tries to cover the header of the real murder and all the scenario of the mystery.
PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
48
“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).
Langdon and Sophie have to face the fact that actually their enemy is their friend, Sir Leigh Teabing. Langdon still did not believe that Teabing could betray him and Sophie. Actually, before they know that Teabing is the enemy, they want to help Teabing from Rémy and Silas. Still in the conflict between Langdon and Sophie against Teabing, Langdon tries to asks Teabing about Teabing’s motivation betray him and Sophie. Sophie feels angry to Teabing after she knew that Teabing was the head of the murder toward her grandfather, Jaques Saunière. Teabing also accuses
Saunière that Saunière is the person who betrays The Priory of Sion and the Gail, because he did not want to open the truth about the Grail into the world, but he sold out to the church. Those makes Sophie become much angry to Teabing, she thinks that Teabing is a liar. Teabing still tries to influence Sophie’s mind to trust what he had said to her. He shows his argument to Sophie, that the Church is the one who responsible to all the murder and the history. He also said that Sophie’s family has been killed by church. Those makes Sophie really shock and didn’t want to believe.
Langdon also did not want to believe Teabing’s arguments. Langdon becomes much angry to Teabing, because Teabing has no proof to accuse the Church about the deaths. But Teabing is still in his arguments that the Church is the one who are guilty.
Langdon did not think that Teabing could do all the things that experienced by
Langdon and Sophie that already have brought them into Teabing’s game. Langdon tries not to involve deeper in Teabing’s game by does not want to help Teabing to
PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
49
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).
Teabing knows how to persuade Langdon’s mind, by directs his gun into
Sophie and give the cryptex to Langdon, so that Langdon will think twice to follow
Teabing and save Sophie’s live or against Teabing and will make Sophie die. Sophie become angrier with Teabing, she trusts Langdon, and she believes that Langdon will not disappoint her. Langdon tries to convince Teabing that he will help him if
Teabing lets Sophie to go. But those made Sophie was scared, she does not want the cryptex and the secret fall into Teabing’s hand, the murder of her grandfather. So, the conflict between Langdon and Sophie begin.
PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
50
“Robert, my grandfather would prefer his secret lost forever than see it in the hands of his murderer.” Sophie’s eyes looked as if they would well with tears, but they did not. She stared directly back at Teabing. “Shoot me if you have to. I am not leaving my grandfather’s legacy in your hands.” (p.454).
From those conflicts, Sophie tries to convince Langdon not to surrender, helps
Teabing, and betrays Sophie and her grandfather. Sophie tries to tell Langdon, that the cryptex is Sophie’s right, because her grandfather’s aim is giving the cryptex for her, not anyone else, so Sauniére protect the secret until he died. Sophie is sure that her grandfather would prefer if the secret will be lost forever than fall into the wrong man.
Finally Langdon knows how to end the conflict between him-self and between
Sophie, by throws the cryptex up, so it will be fall into the floor. But of course
Langdon’s act will make Teabing angry and panics. Spontaneously Teabing’s mind will focus on the cryptex that has been thrown by Langdon, and Teabing unrealized that he has droped his gun. Those opportunities used by Langdon and Sophie to take
Teabing’s gun when Teabing has fell into the floor and tried to take the cryptex.
Sophie has hold and direct the gun into Teabing when Teabing still lay on the floor.
Wild panic gripped him. NO! the vinegar was streamingnow, and Teabing pictured the papyrus dissolving within. Robert, you fool! The secret is lost! (p.457).
By Langdon intelligence, actually Langdon has found the code to open the cryptex. The code is APPLE and he has been already opened it, so he knew the information inside the cryptex, but first Langdon has act like he did not know anything about the code, so that Teabing will ask the cryptex from Langdon’s hand,
PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
51
and then everything that has happened was just like Langdon’s plan to trap Teabing into Langdon’s plan. Langdon’s acts make Teabing become angry and crazy. But still
Langdon explains to Teabing how he gets the code, and he mocks Teabing by show the map without show the information inside which is actually it was Teabing’s dream in his live. Langdon said that the orb from which Eve partook incurring the
Holy wrath of God. The Apple is the symbol of Original sin, the symbol of the fall of the sacred feminine.
C. Messages as revealed by the Main Characters and the Conflicts
From this part, the writer wants to show some messages which are taken from the main characters’ description and their conflicts. The author of the novel already put a direct form message in the story. But by this part, the writer also has to interpret the messages because there are some messages in the novel which are indirect form since the author of the novel does not convey the messages directly. There are some messages that the writer found in the novel, they are:
1. Everyone should have self confidence in their ability.
From this novel, the writer is fascinated with Langdon’s ability to face his problem without hurting someone’s feeling, when he thinks that his colleagues have mock him, he tries to take a little action, which will not make him shame.
…, standing prematurely and edging her way from the podium. “Boston Magazine clearly has a gift for fiction.” He turned to the audience with an embarrassed sigh. “And if I find which one of you provided that article, I’ll have the consulate deport you.” The crowd laughed (p.10).
PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
52
From the quotation above, the writer take a message from Langdon’s character, although actually he thinks that he does not have self confidence, but he tries to show to public that he has a self confidence in their ability, that he is an intelligence, and a smart person, so that everyone will not mock him or make him shame. So, actually the message is everyone should have self confidence, so that they themselves can face other people and can easily face their problem.
The message to have a self confidence in ability is also appropriate when we have to face a stranger. For the example when Langdon face the agent. The agent asks Langdon a snare question about France’s Pyramid, but by Langdon’s intelligence, he can explains to the agent the history of France’s Pyramid without answering the real question, so that the agent will not disappoint and the agent will honor him because of Langdon’s intelligence. Langdon’s self confidence in his ability also shows when he as a professor of Religious Symbology in Harvard University, wrote some books that are controversial which he thinks right to show some facts.
Saunière’s work inspired Langdon in his book. Langdon was so braves and confidences to show his idea in his book about the iconography of goddess worship, although the fact in his book is going to be controversial. He does not scare that he will be mocks by much people, and also he will get much enemy because of his work.
In other scene, where Langdon has his confidence in his ability is when he could face his phobias, his internal conflict without knowing by someone else. He could face his internal conflict by using his intelligence, so that he will not fall deeper in his phobias. Langdon has his frights because of a frightening event of childhood,
PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
53
some phobias of enclosed and narrow spaces, but he could face it without showing his phobia 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.
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).
From the quotation above, the message that it is important to have self confidence in ability is very appropriate, because if someone who is wicked knows our weakness, it will be danger to our selves, so, by our self confidence in ability, we could hide our phobia without knowing by someone else.
When Captain Fache asked Langdon to solve and explain the symbols around
Saunière’s body, Langdon with his self confidence in his intelligence ability could explain to Captain Fache the real meaning of the pentacle, the symbols which had already become wrong interpretation.
Captain Fache actually was disagreed with Langdon explanation about the symbols around Saunière’s body, but by Langdon’s brilliant brain, Langdon could break Captain Fache idea. Langdon uses his self confidence in his intelligence ability to show his argumentation to Captain Fache, so that Captain Fache will believe on him and will not underestimate him.
PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
54
Robert Langdon is confidence to use his intelligence when he has a conflict of conversation to break Captain Fache’s thought, Langdon explained about the pentacle on Saunière’s body, Fache is disagree with Langdon’s explanation about the real meaning of pentacle which is the meaning in Fache thought is the symbol of devil.
Again, Langdon still hold his intelligence to face 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.
Langdon was reaching the end of his patience. “Captain, you asked for my instincts as to what Saunière is trying to say here, and that’s what I’m giving you.” (p.51).
The other scene that shows Langdon’s confidence in his ability is when
Langdon feels confidence with his intelligence ability, he thinks that was the reason why Saunière wrote his name in Saunière’s code so that Langdon will involves and meets Sophie and then could help her to find the truth or fact that on the pass made
Sophie and Saunière separated each other. The message to have self-confidence in ability is very appropriate to help anyone else.
… “The rift between you. The reason you haven’t spoken to him in ten years. I think maybe he was hoping I could somehow make that right by explaining what drove you apart.” (p.333).
Beside Langdon feels confidence in his ability to help Sophie to find the truth, he is a sensitive person, he tries to understand Sophie’s feeling with her situation faced all of her problems, he tries to ask Sophie about her past and by his intelligence, he tries to explain and give resolution on her problem, he tries to arrange and correct
PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
55
Saunière act, so that it will not be misunderstanding anymore between Sophie and her grandfather. Langdon said that the sex ritual that done by Sophie’s grandfather was
Hieros Gamos, a ritual which is actually for the past two thousands years ago was a ritual that had been done by Egyptian priest and priestesses, and it had been done regularly to celebrate the productive power of the female, the ritual that according to the secret society was a sacred marriage. Langdon adds that the Egyptian priest and priestesses and also the secret society believe that by communing with woman, man could achieve a climatic instant when his mind went totally blank and he could see
God. Still in Langdon explanation, he said that the ancient’s view of sex was entirely opposite from the man today, sex begot new life, the miracles that could be performed only by God. The ability of the woman to produce life from her womb made her sacred. A God. Intercourse was the revered union of the two halves of the human spirit, male and female, through which the male could find spiritual wholeness and communion with God. What Sophie saw was not about sex, it was about spirituality. The Hieros Gamos ritual is not a perversion. It is deeply sacrosanct ceremony. Langdon explained for the early church, mankind’s use of sex to commune directly with God posed a serious threat to the Catholic power base. It left the church out of the loop, undermining their self-proclaimed status as the sole conduit to God.
For obvious reasons, they worked hard to demonize sex and recast it as a disgusting and sinful act. Other major religions did the same.
Sophie also has a self confidence in her ability, she was very smart to hold the situation when she has to face Captain Fache for the first time they met, she can
PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
56
easily lies to Fache in order to speak to Langdon. Sophie is so confidence to uses her idea to make captain Fache understand and did not put his suspicious to Sophie.
Sophie has the answer when Fache look suspicious to her.
By Sophie’s ability, she could make the others believe on her, and she also could make Langdon believe on her. In order not to make captain Fache become suspicious when Langdon will make a phone call, Sophie has give 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 become confuse that the voice which he heard is Sophie’s voice, Sophie could make
Langdon feels sure that the number is the right number. Although Sophie did not know Langdon well, she has feelings that Langdon is a good man, so, she tries to help
Langdon and gives the information that he is in danger. By using Sophie’s status as a
DCPJ of Cryptography that means she has intelligence ability in the case of codes, she was very brave and confidence 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 Fache have in hand happens to be one of the famous mathematical progressions in history, and those did not mean nothings.
By Sophie’s confidence in her intelligence ability she can answers Fache’s question about the relevance between the Fibonacci to Saunière’s death. Even, Sophie could answer when Fache asked 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.
PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
57
… “Absolutely nothing. That’s the point. It’s a simplistic cryptographic joke. Like taking the words of a famous poem and shuffling them at random to see if anyone recognizes what all the words have in common.” (p.67).
Sophie was confidence that the code is for her. She uses her intelligent idea to solve the code. She has a talent of cryptogram, so, it is easy to her to know that the code is only a message for her, although she did not know the reason why her grandfather involves Langdon in the code.
Despite not understanding the meaning of his message, Sophie was certain its cryptic nature was additional proof that the words were intended for her. Sophie’s passion and aptitude for cryptography were a product of growing up with Jacques Saunière – a fanatic himself for codes, word games, and puzzles (P.83)
The scene that is also showing Sophie’s confidence in using her intelligence ability is when Sophie tried to threat the guard of the museum by tries to break the painting of Madonna of the Rocks, if the guard does not let Langdon go. Of course finally the guard follows Sophie’s order.
Every problem has a resolution if someone has self confidence in his or her ability, for example When Sophie and Langdon is in a bad and threaten situation, by using Sophie’s ability, she can think fast, when she and Langdon have to run from police, she is the one who could use her brain in the worse situation, in order not caught by police. She left her SmartCar, buy 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.
..., the train to Lille was belching and wheezing in preparation for departure, but Sophie already had her arm through Landon’s and was guiding him in the
PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
58
exact opposite direction. They hurried… out a side door onto a quiet street on the west side of the station (p.165).
Sophie is very critical to something when she faces some problems or cases. It is shows 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 far too coincidental that this supposedly random account number could be rearranged to form the Fibonacci sequence.” (p.205).
In order not to accept the wrong information, it is necessary to use intelligence ability to investigate the statement. Sophie gives some critical questions to Teabing and Langdon, when Teabing and Langdon give her some explanations about the Holy
Grail and the Bible.
By Langdon intelligence, he can easily trap his enemy. It is proven when finally he could find the code to open the cryptex, the code is APPLE and he has been already opened it, so he knows the information inside the cryptex, but first Langdon act like he did not know anything about the code, so that Teabing will ask the cryptex from Langdon’s hand, and then everything that has happened is just like Langdon’s plan to trap Teabing into Langdon’s plan.
PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
59
2. People should be responsible for what they bring.
Langdon is a person who is really has responsibility on what he did or what come around him that caused by himself. It is shows in the scene where Langdon actually did not want to include Leigh Teabing in his problem. He feels guilt that
Teabing gets difficulties because of him. Even Langdon also makes a sacrifice for
Teabing and Sophie when he has to up against Silas the albino, the killer of Saunière.
When finally Langdon knew that Teabing is become the mastermind of the murder, he feels that he has responsible because he brings Sophie to Leigh Teabing.
I took her to Château Villette. I am responsible (P.440).
Although Langdon feels dilemma between two choices, when Leigh asks him to join Leigh or against Leigh, he still shows his responsibility toward Sophie, by think the way to save Sophie. If Langdon agrees to join and help Leigh, it means he betrays Sophie, but if he refuses Leigh idea, Leigh will kill 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).
In the other scene, Sophie also shows that she is a responsible woman. Sophie 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 left by Saunière, her grandfather is actually for her, not for the police or Langdon. She has responsible, that because of her Langdon become involved or become the suspect in the case of murder. Actually Saunière wrote Langdon’s name in Saunière message because he wants Sophie to meet Langdon to help him to show the truth.
PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
60
“…, Mr. Langdon, I believe you are innocent.” … “And also because it is partially my fault that you are in trouble.” (p.75).
Sophie is not confidence with the way she uses her idea to help Langdon, she doubt whether Fache will realize that she had not left the Louvre museum. Sophie also doubt that he had done the right thing by cornering Langdon in the Men’s room when Sophie want to explain to Langdon what actually happened to both of them. By that scene, it is show Sophie responsibility, because she wants to tell Langdon that
Langdon is already become the suspect of the murder, and it is become Sophie’s responsibility because she knows that Langdon is not guilty, she wants to help
Langdon to run, by thinking the ways to trick the police. Actually Langdon is disagrees with Sophie’s idea to help Langdon to run because Langdon thinks that he is not guilty, and he can asking help with the lawyer if he becomes the suspect. But because Sophie feels responsible, she tells Langdon that Langdon is right, but he forgets that Langdon will still be in jail if he does not run to U.S. Embassy to asking protection. If Langdon agrees with Sophie’s idea, Sophie convinces him that she will help him to find the truth that Langdon is not guilty.
Sophie felt guilty turning Langdon into a fugitive only to abandon him, but she saw no other option. She pointed down the stairs to a metal door. “Go through that door, and follow the illuminated exit signs. My grandfather used to bring me down here. The signs will lead you to a security turnstile. It’s monodirectional and opens out.” She handed Langdon her car keys. “Mine is the red SmartCar in the employee lot. Directly outside this bulkhead. Do you know how to get to the Embassy?” (p.109)
Both Langdon and Sophie are the example of responsible people. It is shows when Sophie is helping Langdon to out from the museum to go to the U.S Embassy,
PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
61
but Langdon refuses that, he chooses to help Sophie deeper to find the other code left by Saunière.
… “I can’t afford to let them catch you, Robert. There’s a lot we need to discuss. You need to go!” (p.123)
Sophie is very responsible in doing her duty. On the scene when Teabing asks her about how far does Sophie can holds her responsibility to keep the keystone of
Holy Grail, Sophie assures that she can be responsible to do the duty that her grandfather gives to her. It is also shows when she faces the conflict between her and
Langdon against Teabing. She persisted in her stand that her grandfather gives the cryptex to her, it is not for Teabing nor Langdon. It is better to break the cryptex than seeing the cryptex own by the wrong man.
“My grandfather gave the cryptex to me. I’m sure he thought I could handle the responsibility.” (p.318).
On the scene where Langdon have to face the problem that Leigh Teabing becomes the hostage of Rémy and Silas, Langdon feels quilt and responsible to what had happened, because he involved Leigh Teabing who is not guilt to his problem.
… I got Leigh involved in this, and I’ll do whatever it takes if there is a chance to help him (p.433).
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 principles refuses Teabing’s plans, she doesn’t want to work together with someone who has killed her grandfather. She feels responsible to find the real murder of her grandfather and makes the murder goes into the prison. She also feels responsible to protect the
PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
62
cryptex that left by her grandfather that actually it left by Sauinière to give for
Sophie, not for the wrong people.
“ I’m not going anywhere,” Sophie declared, her eyes narrowing with rage. “That cryptex was given to me by my grandfather. It is not yours to open.” (p.454).
From those conflicts, Sophie is responsible to tries to convince Langdon not to surrender, to help Teabing, and betrays Sophie and her grandfather. Sophie tries to tell Langdon, that the cryptex is Sophie’s right, because her grandfather’s aim is giving the cryptex for her, not for anyone else, because Sauniére protect the secret until he died. Sophie is sure that her grandfather would prefer if the secret will lost forever than fall into the wrong man.
Because Langdon feels responsible to Sophie, he tries to think a way to end the conflict, and finally Langdon knew how to end the conflict between he himself and Sophie, by throw the cryptex up, so it will fall into the floor. Of course although
Langdon has already broken the cryptex, he is not really lost the last message on the crytex, because he is responsible to Sophie, to help Sophie to find the truth and to get some proves that Langdon is not guilty about the murder, he tries to think to trap
Teabing.
3. Every religion helps people to be better people.
The messages “every religion helps people to be better people” is already conveyed directly by the author of the novel. In this scene, Sophie Neveu tries to ask
Langdon if the truth will not open into the world, why did they try to seek the truth, the Holy Grail, why did Langdon refuse to open the truth. In this case, by Langdon’s
PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
63
intelligence and principle he tries to explain to Sophie his reason not to open the
Grail, he believes that human’s metaphors and allegories can help people survive in their live and be better people. Although Langdon thinks that actually each religion in the world now are only metaphors and allegories that means that all of that is 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).
From above quotation, those means that every faith is based on what people made, that all of the imagination of God is right and true although it cannot be prove.
The metaphors and allegories of God that made by human are some kinds of a way to help human’s minds to process everything that cannot be process. But the problems begins to arise when human begin to be fanatic with their own believes.
Langdon would like to see Religious Scholar to have more information to muse over the wonderful life of Jesus Christ. So it will be useful for people to try to life like Jesus, to be better people, try to follow the good ways that Jesus teach to human.
The Bible, Koran, Torah, Pali Canon give a fundamental guidance for millions of people. So, if there is any documentation that contradicted with Christian,
Islamic, Judaic, Buddhist, and Pagan Beliefs, it will be useless because that documents will bring a war that destroy to human life, because human will do not have the faith, the guidance to life. Langdon is sure that people who truly understand their faiths will understand the stories are metaphorical and allegorical.
PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
64
Religious allegory and metaphor has become a part of the fabric of reality, that means the reality is made by human because of their imagination which people thinks right. Actually, by living in that reality helps millions of people to survive and to be a better people.
4. It is necessary to be open - minded
It is necessary to be open - minded, because if people have a serious problem, and they do not want to share with someone else, they will not get a solution, but if people try to share their problem with the right man, or people whose they get a problem, they will easy to get solution on their problem. For example Sophie, she first wants to hide her problem with her grandfather, what happened to her and her grandfather in her past, but finally she tries to be open-minded toward Langdon to understanding what her grandfather did actually in the past.
… 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 has deeply indebted to Langdon, because Langdon help her without asking the prize. Sophie feels that she know her grandfather well now than in the past after she has experience to find the keystone, solving the code, understanding
Sangreal, and understanding the ceremony that her grandfather did which made
Sophie shocked. Because Sophie tries to be open - minded toward Langdon, now the problem in Sophie’s mind for a long time is getting lost after she shares her problem.
“…, 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
PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
65
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).
5. People will repay on what they did.
Sophie cannot easily forgive someone’s sins to her, especially to her grandfather, Saunière. She even did not give chances to her grandfather to give her some explanations about the misunderstanding between Sophie and Saunière. She has a negative thinking toward her own grandfather. Because Sophie cannot forgive her grandfather, although Saunière had tried to give her some explanations, now she has to repay her act, Sophie lost her grandfather without a chance to meet Saunière before he died, and Sophie also does not know yet what drove them apart, what actually happened in the past between both of them.
Sophie repays her act towards Saunière by get a feel of guilty. Sophie feels guilty and sad for her own grandfather. She really feels sad and guilt why she did not give her forgiveness for her own grandfather, and did not give Saunière chances to explain the misunderstanding between them.
The remorse that gripped her was powerful and sudden, a deep sadness laced with guilt. The man had reached out to her so many times over the pass ten years, and yet Sophie had remained immovable – leaving his letters and packages unopened in a bottom drawer and denying his efforts to see her. He lied to me! Kept appalling secrets! What was I supposed to do? And so she had blocked him out. Completely (p.116).
In the scene when Sophie and Langdon also have to face Andre Vernet, a banker of the Depository Bank of Zurich, that scene ending when Sophie and
Langdon can handle Andre Vernet by hit him, so Andre get injured. In this scene, the writer thinks the message that people will repay on what they did is very appropriate,
PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
66
because Andre Vernet repay on what he did by gets injures because of his betrayal to
Langdon and Sophie. Firstly, 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.
Silas and Bishop Manuel Aringarosa as an antagonist in the story also get their consequences, because Silas is so fanatic, has the wrong understanding about
Christianity, and also has an ambition to make his teacher, Bishop Manuel Aringarosa be successful in the carrier if Silas gets Holy Grail, through Silas also kills Saunière,
Saunière’s sènèchaux, also sister Sandrine, that makes Langdon becomes the suspect of the murder, especially the murder of Saunière. Silas also ever has a conflict with
Langdon, Sophie, and Teabing in Teabing’s house and in the Temple Church by presses them with his gun. When Police knows the place when Silas hide, Silas tries to run and fights against the Police, finally the police can shoot him, unfortunately,
Silas also shoot somebody that he thinks is police, but actually the victim is Silas’s teacher, Bishop Manuel Aringarosa. Actually the Bishop wants to stop Silas, but he has failed. The Bishop gets injures, and Silas takes him to the hospital, so that he will be save. Finally the Bishop is still alive with all of his regret. But Silas died in a quiet hollow, also with all of his regret and sins.
PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
67
… He prayed for forgiveness. He prayed for mercy. And, above all, he prayed for his mentor… Bishop Aringarosa… that the Lord would not take him before his time (p.459).
Rémy Legaludec, Teabing’s servant also becomes an antagonist character in the story, because of his ambition to be rich and free man, he cheats Silas and the bishop Manuel Aringarosa. Rémy also ever has a conflict with Sophie, Langdon and
Teabing in the temple Church by aimed the gun to ask the cryptex from Langdon’s hands. Rémy also ever act not polite to Sophie and Langdon when they came to
Teabing’s house. Rémy actually is a henchman of Leigh Teabing to run his plan to get the Holy Grail by doing everything. But at the end of Rémy’s life, he was killed by Leigh Teabing, because Leigh feels that Rémy didn’t follow his rule, and makes
Leigh in trouble and danger situation.
Rémy tried to lift his clenched fists to blow the horn, but instead he slipped sideways, rolling onto the seat, lying on his side beside the Teacher, clutching at his throat. The rain fell harder now. Rémy could no longer see, but he could sense his oxygen - deprived brain straining to cling to his last faint shreds of lucidity. As his world slowly went black, Rémy Legaludec could have sworn he heard the sounds of the soft Riviera surf (p.415).
Because Langdon is a good person, he is also not guilty about the murder, and without any prizes helping Sophie in anything, finally Langdon gets some proves that he is innocent, not guilty and he can find the real murder, the head of the murder, that is Leigh Teabing. Langdon repays the goodness of his act.
Langdon repays his act, his kindness by getting his freedom, but Leigh
Teabing with his wicked, by become the head of all of the murder which had happened, and also the murder of Rémy, his servant, Leigh Teabing repays his act by
PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
68
go into jail and lost the cryptex. The scene begins to have resolution when Langdon has to face his inner conflicts 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. By
Langdon’s kindness, finally Langdon know how to end the conflict between he himself and between Sophie, by throw the cryptex up, so it will fall into the floor. But of course Langdon’s act will make Teabing angry and panic. Spontaneously
Teabing’s mind will focus on the cryptex that has been throw by Langdon, and
Teabing unrealized that he has drop his gun. Those opportunities use by Langdon and
Sophie to take Teabing’s gun when Teabing fall into the floor and try to take the cryptex. Sophie holds and directs the gun into Teabing when Teabing still lay on the floor. By Langdon intelligence, actually Langdon has found the code to open the cryptex, and he has already opened it, so he knows the information inside the cryptex, but first Langdon act like he doesn’t know anything about the code, so that Teabing will ask the cryptex from Langdon’s hand, and then everything that has happened is just like Langdon’s plan to trap Teabing into Langdon’s plan. Langdon’s act make
Teabing become angry and crazy. But still Langdon explain to Teabing how he gets the code, and he mocks Teabing by showing the map without showing the information inside that actually it was Teabing’s dream in his live. So, when Bezu
Fache and the police come, they can catch Leigh and put him into jail. Because of
Leigh Teabing’s bad characters, he has to repay his acts. By his own false, showing his ID to guards, police gets easier to know the place where Leigh Teabing is.
PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
69
Finally 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. 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 is clear that he arranged Langdon and Sophie into the Rosslyn, but Langdon confuse why
Saunière made the code become more complicated. Because of Sophie kindness, helping Langdon out of the museum, believes that Langdon is not guilty, also finally she forgives her grandfather, finally Sophie can meet his grandmother and her own brother that she thinks they are already died. Sophie can recognize her own family although she never meets her grandmother and her brother since many years.
…, Sophie could not imagine that only yesterday she had felt so alone in the world. And now, somehow, in this foreign place, in the company of three people she barely knew, she felt at last that she was home (p.475).
There is a question in Langdon’s mind, he wants to know whether the Church force Saunière not to open the documents’ of Sangreal or not. When he asks to Marie
Chauvel, Sophie’s grandmother, she convinces Langdon that was not right. She states that there is no special day to open the Grail, even the fact is the Priory protect the
Grail and it will not open to the world. When she saw Langdon looks confuse, Marie explains that the mystery and the wonderment of Grail is very useful for every soul, not the Grail itself. She adds that for some people, Grail is a chalice that will give them an eternal life, and for the others, it is a hunt to seek the lost documents and secret history. Again she states that for most people, Grail is simply a grand idea, a glorious untouchable treasure that somehow, even in today’s world of chaos, inspire
PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
70
all human. After Langdon heard Marie’s statements, he is still confuses and doubtful.
When Marie said that the Grail is not inside the Rosslyn Chapel, Langdon is become more confuses. He thinks that the keystone should be shows the place where the Grail is hidden, and the poem or information that Sauinière left is direct to Rosslyn.
Although Marie does not tell Langdon where the Grail is, but because Marie knows that Langdon is a good person, she told Langdon that someday Langdon will find the
Grail, and she believes that Langdon can keep the secret of Grail.
In the Epilogue of the Novel, finally Langdon knows the meaning of
Saunière’s poem. The poem is actually directly refers to the place where the Grail is.
Those become Langdon’s inner conflict because he did not think before that finally he understands Saunière’s codes. The poem actually refers to Sophie, so that Sophie can find and meet her grandmother and her brother, but the poem is also direct to the place where the Grail is hidden, so, the poem is has two meanings, it is direct to the
Rosslyn Chapel and the Louvre museum. Because of Langdon’s kindness and intelligence, Langdon gets his willing to find the Sangreal, although he does not see the Sangreal directly.
Like the murmurs of spirits in the darkness, forgotten words echoed. The quest for the Holy Grail is the quest to kneel before the bones of Mary Magdalene. A journey to pray at the feet of the outcast one. With a sudden upwelling of reverence, Robert Langdon fell to his knees. For a moment, he thought he heard a woman’s voice … the wisdom of the ages … whispering up from the chasms of the earth (p.489).
By giving the character description of the major or the main character Robert
Langdon and Sophie Neveu, and also the writer tries to explain their conflicts when
PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
71
both of them have to face some problems with their own thought or the other characters or minor characters, the writer can reveal some messages that not convey by the author explicitly. So, if the reader can understand the character of the main character and also some conflicts that they have to face, the reader will also notice and understand the message.
PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
CHAPTER V
CONCLUSION
The novel The Da Vinci Code is one of Dan Brown’s works which is controversial. The Da Vinci Code reveals Dan Brown’s thought about the history of
Jesus Christ’s live. By getting some fact, Dan Brown uses his imagination to write the story. The one that makes the story becomes controversial is because it seems that
Dan Brown breaks the big history of Jesus Christ’s live which has written in the bible. But actually, the writer thinks that Dan Brown is only uses some facts of history to create his imagination to make the story interesting. The reason why the writer thinks that so, is because there is a word in the novel; “fiction” that means the story is not real, and at the ending of the story, the Grail as the key of the history is not found. At the prologue in the novel, it seems that Robert Langdon as the main character, find the place of the Holy Grail, but he cannot really find the Grail actually.
Having analyzed the story, the writer could draw some conclusions that basically answered the problems formulation. Therefore, the conclusions here are divided into three parts according to the problems formulated. There are three problems discussed in the analysis. Those are the characteristics of the main characters, the character’s conflicts, and the messages as revealed in the main character’s description and the conflicts.
Looking back to the story, there are two main characters of the story written by Dan Brown, they are Robert Langdon, a professor of religious symbology,
72 PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
73
Harvard University, and Sophie Neveu, a French cryptologist and a granddaughter of
Saunière, a curator of Louvre Museum. Robert Langdon is described as a hero and as well respected, brave, responsible and brilliant, but still has a little phobia. Sophie
Neveu also brave, responsible and brilliant woman, but has a bad memory in her past about her family, she lost her parents, brother, and grandmother in a car accident, she also has to face her grandfather that made her disappointed because in the past Sophie has ever saw a weird and strange ceremony, a kind of sex ritual. The ritual made
Sophie shock and did not want to forgive her grandfather without any explanations.
In the Story, Robert Langdon helps her to understand Saunière act. Langdon faced a big and unforgettable problem in his life. It begins when he was in Paris, the senior curator of the Louvre Museum, Jaques Saunière 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 have to face the police. 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 knowing the truth that mean by Saunière. If failed, the explosive, ancient truth PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
74
will be lost forever. Not only many clues and polices that they faced, both of them also have to face the conflicts against the betrayals; Andre Vernet, as a bunker, also
Silas the albino or the monk and the murder, Rémy Legaludec, as Leigh Teabing’s servant and spy. But the real murder or the head of the murder is Leigh Teabing, who is actually Langdon’s best friend. The inners conflicts also have to be faced by
Langdon and Sophie. Langdon has to face his phobia, his surprised being suspected as a murder, his feeling of guilty, because bring Sophie to Leigh Teabing, the betrayal. Sophie also has to face her inner conflict, by remind her bad experience, and face the betrayal.
Learning from the main character’s descriptions, through what he and she say and do, and from the conflicts appear, the writer can reveal some possible messages.
First, everyone should have self confidence in their ability, so that people will respect him, and if someone is wicked, he or she will not know our weakness, and of course we can also do anything good to someone else. Second, people should be responsible for what they bring so that people will trust them. Third, every religion helps people to be better people. Whatever the religions a human being believes in, it always teaches him or her to be good or to lead a straight life. Fourth, it is necessary to be open - minded, so that if someone has a problem, he or she will easier to get some solution on his her problem. And last, people will repay on what they did, if someone has a good behavior, so, he or she will get kindness, but if someone has a bad temper, he or she will get the punishment.
PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Abrams, M.H. A Glossary of Literary Terms. New York: Holt, Rineheart, and Winston, 1981.
Barnet, S. et al. Literature for Composition Essay, Fiction, Poetry and Drama. London: Scott, Foresman and Company, 1988.
Beaty, Jerome and David Hunter. New Worlds of Literature. New York: W.W. Norton and Company, 1989.
Brown, Dan. The Da Vinci Code. New York: Doubleday, 2003
Encyclopedia Americana. Connecticut: Grolier. Incorporation, 1978.
Guerin, Wilfred L., Labor, Earle, Morgan, Lee, Reesman, Jeanne C., and Willingham John R. A Handbook of Critical Approaches to Literature. New York: Oxford University Press, 1999.
Henkle, B. Roger. Reading the Novel. New York: Harper and Row, 1977.
Holman, C. Hugh and Hormon William, A Handbook to Literature. New York: Mac. Millan, 1986.
Hornby, A.S. Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary of Current English. New York: Oxford University Press, 1989.
Kenny, William. How to Analyze Fiction. New York: Monarch Press, 1966.
Koesnosubroto, B.S. The Anatomy of Fiction. Jakarta: Departemen Pendidikan dan Kebudayaan Indonesia, 1988.
Murphy, M.J. Understanding Unseen. London: George Allen and Unwin Ltd., 1972.
Nurgiyantoro, Burhan. Teori Pengkajian Fiksi. Yogyakarta: Gajah Mada University Press, 1995.
Pooley, C. Robert and Dudley Miles. Literature and Life in America. Chicago: Scotts Foresman and Company, 1943.
75 PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
76
Perrine, Laurence. Literature: Structure, Sounds, and Sense. New York: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, Inc., 1974.
Redman, E. Croshy. A Second Book of Plays. New York: The Macmillan Company, 1964.
Robert, Edgar V. and Henry F. Jacobs. Fiction: An Introduction to Ethnics. San Fransisco: Freeman, Cooper Company, 1972.
Rohrberger, Marry and Samuel Woods, Reading and Writing About Literature. New York: Random House, 1971.
Sinclair, John. Collins Cobuild Essential Dictionary. London: Harper Collins Publisher, 1988.
Stanton, Robert. An Introduction to Fiction. New York: Holt, Rineheart and Winston. Inc., 1965.
Wellek, Rene and Austin Warren, Theory of Literature. New York: Hart Court, Drace and Company, 1956.
Anderson, Patrick. About The Book of The Da Vinci Code. Washington: The Washington Post. 2006.
Emerson. A Summary and Book Review. Wikipedia’s Article: November 2005.
Pair Networks. Meet Dan. 2005.