DA VINCI CODE ESSAY

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HOW DOES THE INTRODUCTION TO ‘THE DA VINCI CODE’ PREPARE THE READER FOR THE REST OF THE NOVEL?

Dan Brown prepares the reader for the rest of the novel, “The Da Vinci Code” with a puzzling yet interesting prologue. “The Da Vinci Code” is the fourth novel by Dan Brown, a famous author who released his first novel “Digital Fortress” in 1998. I chose to read “The Da Vinci Code” because it has received excellent reviews and it explains philosophical concepts from the time of Jesus Christ. I was drawn to “The Da Vinci Code” as a film was released in 2006 and the first two novels had been excellent. I was attracted to the novel because the title gives a spooky and suspicious sense of atmosphere. The series is based in the modern world and the novels are based on code- breaking skills giving them a thriller nature. In this essay, I am going to be explaining anything confusing or puzzling that crop up in the prologue and how this may affect the reader’s sense of curiosity. Unlike the other novels, “The Da Vinci Code” begins with an action scene, leaving the reader curious.

The title “The Da Vinci Code” indicates another code- breaking plot however it leaves readers wondering, what code is to be solved? The word “code” is quite vague and could imply there is a secret waiting to be unleashed. Dan Brown added the phrase “The Da Vinci” before “code”. “Da Vinci” is short for Leonardo da Vinci, a great painter, inventor and writer. A reader will be aware of this because Da Vinci is famous. Even though Da Vinci was regarded as a skilled engineer, none of his works linked to puzzles and codes. The title therefore leaves the reader in a puzzling state of confusion and the front cover shows a small portion of “The Mona Lisa” by Leonardo da Vinci, confirming that Da Vinci is linked to the novel.  Dan Brown has cleverly constructed the title and cover, leaving readers debating over the plot, causing them to feel curious, drawing readers in to read the book.

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The first sentence appeals to our sense of sight and causes readers to feel curious. The sentence reads: “Renowned curator Jacques Sauniere staggered through the vaulted archway of the museum’s Grand Gallery”. The sentence introduces a character, Curator Jacques Sauniere and this causes the reader to question, who is Jacques Sauniere? Why is he the curator of the museum and how is he famous? The second part of the sentence involves the curator staggering through a vaulted archway. This implies many possibilities: The curator could have simply tripped or he might have even been chased. This leaves readers in ...

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