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Assist. Prof. Qassim Salman Sarhan (PHD) Alyaa Nadhim M0hammed University of Al-Qadissiya / College of Education / Department of Englis The Thriller Genre In Dan Brown's Novel Angels And Demons Assist. Prof. Qassim Salman Sarhan (PHD) Alyaa Nadhim M0hammed University of Al-Qadissiya / College of Education / Department of English ABSTRACT Thriller is a genre of fiction in which heroes are pitted against villains determined to destroy them, their country, or the stability of the world. This genre is often associated with adventure and detective fiction. Thriller genre uses suspense, tension, and excitement as their main elements. It is mostly characterized by an atmosphere of menace, violence, and murder. This genre includes sub-genres, which may include elements of other genres. A wide ranging conspiracy involving governments, terrorists or secret brotherhood is also what makes a good thriller. Dan Brown is not a new- comer to this genre. Each of his novels includes intricate plots, and intriguing conspiracy theories with breathless, edge of the seat action. Brown's novels introduces collection of codes, puzzles, anagrams, ambigrams, and messages hidden in famous scientific discoveries and Art works, as new thrilling devices. CHAPTER ONE rest of the world become, Dan Brown's Life and Work by definition, outsiders. Dan Brown is a well-known What goes on within its American writer of thriller. He was wall is largely unknown born on June 22, 1964, the eldest of and unnoticed by the three children. He grew up in the outsiders, and the insiders campus of Phillips Exeter Academy in like to keep it that way.1 New Hampshire. His father Richard, a The Brown family was active on teacher and co-author of a series of campus, and Richard and Connie mathematics textbooks that became encouraged their children to balance recommended in the United States, educational pursuits and physical joined this faculty and brought his wife activity every day. "I grew up in a who had been trained as a church house-hold where riddles and codes organist and student of sacred music, were just part of the way we had fun," with him, two years before Dan was said Dan Brown, "I also grew up in a born. Brown became a student at the house of mathematics, music, language, Academy, which is, according to Lisa codes and ciphers really are the fusion Rogak, of all those languages."2 He adds "in our a secret society all its own, childhood on Christmas morning where where new students quickly most kids would find their presents learn that the culture is under the tree, my siblings and I might steeped in an Us versus find a treasure map with codes that we Them mentality. The would follow from room to room and students and faculty are eventually find our presents hidden insiders and people in the somewhere else in the house."3 Later, he 17 مجمة القادسية في اﻵداب والعموم التربوية - المجمد ) 00 ( العددان ) 3 ، 4 ( سنة 2102 م The Thriller Genre In Dan Brown's Novel Angels And Demons fueled his novels with treasure hunts, from the Egyptians to arguing that "the cracking of the codes Jackson Pollock. The is what accelerates the readers through professor‟s slide the pages."4 presentations included Lisa Rogak states that one of images ranging from the Phillips Exeter‟s aims is to create pyramids, religious icons, students who are well-rounded by renaissance painting and introducing each student to as many sculpture, all the way different disciplines and topics as through to the pop artists possible across science, arts, literature, of modern times. This and sports. She sees that Brown took course opened my eyes to this lesson to heart, "which later became the concept of art as evident in the numerous disciplines he 'communication' between incorporated into his novels-was that the artist and viewer. The best thing to aim for in life was to artist‟s language, I learned, become a Renaissance man."5 D. M. was often symbolism and Brown adds metaphor…. The course Exeter Academy is the was a chronology of art home of the Harkness history, and I took a method, a style of teaching specific interest in the named for philanthropist renaissance masters of Edward Harkness. Classes Bernini, Michelangelo, are quite small…, and Raphael, and Leonardo instruction consists of open DaVinci which are loaded discussion between teacher with hidden symbolic and students while seated meaning.7 around a table…. One can In an interview with Dan Brown, easily imagine how this the interviewer asked him "What was style of teaching encourages the book that most influenced your students to challenge life?" Dan replied that it was Madeleine accepted ideas. Perhaps L‟ Engle‟s classic, A Wrinkle Time. "Her these classrooms mesmerizing concept of tesseracts got discussions marked the me thinking of our universe in a beginning of Dan's free- multidimensional way."8 The second thinking, unconventional book was Sydney Sheldon‟s Doomsday style.6 Conspiracy. He commented "I read the In 1985, while he was a student at first page… And then the next… And Amherst College, he spent the school then the next. Several hours later, I year abroad in Seville, Spain, where he finished the book and thought, I can do joined art history course at the that. Thus inspired to become a writer University of Seville. Brown comments of thrillers."9 For Brown, writing is a on this experience discipline, much like playing musical this art course covered the instrument. He explains the way his entire history of World Art- novels were written مجمة القادسية في اﻵداب والعموم التربوية - المجمد ) 00 ( العددان ) 3 ، 4 ( سنة 2102 م 18 Assist. Prof. Qassim Salman Sarhan (PHD) Alyaa Nadhim M0hammed University of Al-Qadissiya / College of Education / Department of Englis I have followed a very conflict between science and religion. similar approach in The novel adapted the historical fact researching and then that the Illuminati, "a powerful and writing each of my four, mysterious brotherhood – long thought novels. The first step is to to be defunct – that is bent on the select a theme that I find destruction of the Catholic Church"12 is particularly intriguing, this still active. One important aspect of this is generally the "big idea." novel is the employment of the art of Therefore I choose a ambigrams13 and bring it to public subject which is not black attention. and white, but rather Angels and Demons, is followed by contains a gray area. The Brown‟s scientific thriller Deception ideal topic has no clear Point (2001). Brown‟s fascination with right and wrong, no intricate science serves him well in this definite good and evil, and novel. D. M. Brown sees that "although makes for great debate. I Dan had delved into the history of art keep myself interested by and religion for Angels and Demons, the writing about things that background of Deception Point was interest me. For me, the purely political and scientific… It's a "must have" themes fast read, and every bit as thrilling as include codes, puzzles and Dan's other books… It lacks, however, treasure hunts, secretive the warmth and historical context of the organizations, and Robert Langdon novels."14 Lisa Rogak academic lectures on illustrates that Deception Point like obscure topics.10 Brown's two earlier novels Found that much of the data on would revolve around a the National Security Agency was secret society: NASA. And unclassified and in the public domain, like the Vatican, the feature Brown did all the research and organization in Angels and background reading for his first novel Demons, NASA is one of the Digital Fortress (1989), a thriller in most covert secret societies which the hero finds himself on the run in the world, while also one through a landscape of ancient Moorish of the most public. "For towers, and the cathedral of Seville in an me, writing about attempt to find out where the clandestine material keeps unbreakable code is hidden and what me engaged in the project," that secret formula is? The novel brings he said. "Because a novel the art of cryptography11 to public can take upwards of a year attention. to write, I need to be Subsequently, Brown started with constantly learning as I his first Robert Langdon story, Angels write, or I lose interest."15 and Demons (2000), a "page-turner" Then comes his religiously thriller which deals with the idea of the oriented thriller novel, The Da Vinci 19 مجمة القادسية في اﻵداب والعموم التربوية - المجمد ) 00 ( العددان ) 3 ، 4 ( سنة 2102 م The Thriller Genre In Dan Brown's Novel Angels And Demons Code (2003). In an interview, Brown was motivates me to try to give the reader asked "the sell line for your book that same experience."19 mentions a greatest conspiracy of the "I think," Brown comments "one past 2000 years, what is this reason my books have found conspiracy?" Brown‟s answer was: "Art mainstream success is that they are historians agree that Da Vinci‟s written from a skeptic point of view."20 paintings contain hidden levels of One of Dan Brown's greatest meaning that go well beneath the accomplishment as a writer is his surface of the paint. This idea excited uncanny ability to blur the line between me as a potential device. The Da Vinci fact and fiction, leaving his readers Code has taken a lot of this information perplexed whether what they read is fact and put it forward in a different genre- or fiction. John Helfers sees that "the that of a work of fiction-a thriller."16 author turns reality on its head so In 2009, Brown‟s third Robert plausibly and so challengingly that it Langdon story was published under the becomes impossible to finish a Dan title The Lost Symbol.

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