The DaVinci Issue #1 January 2012
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The truth behi nd
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“O, Draconian Devil O, Lame Saint.”
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Table Of Contents Pg. 4: I ntervie w
WIth R
ck oundtra s e d o C ci : Da Vin
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Pg. 8: P oem
ticle r A e r u t a Pg. 9: Fe
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obert L angdon
An Exclusive Interview with
R
ecently Robert Langdon a university professor was accused for the murder of the curator workinng at the louvre museum. With a helping hand from an agent from the cryptology department he has escaped the museum and is now attempting to evade police. Both the murder and escape are very unlikely and odd actions from this timid professor. Langdon has a very expansive knowledge of old arts and paintings and is an avid studier of Leonardo Da Vinci. 1. Recently a man named Jacques Saunière was murdered and before he died he left a message saying
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to find you. What do you believe was the reasoning behind his message? I was scheduled to meet with this man before he was horribly murdered. I have no idea of what he intended to talk to me about in this meeting. I was in no way a part of this incident, it was a huge shock for me that he was murdered. I suspect that he might have believed I would posses the skills to solve his untimely death. 2. What was your initial reaction to the murder? How does it feel to be the main murder suspect? It was a complete and utter shock for me. The whole
murder was so bizarre it was really hard to think of what had happened. The fact that I was interpreted as the main murder suspect is outrageous. I had no intent and no motive to murder this man, I did not even know the purpose of our intended visit later that night. 3. Sophie recently helped you escape the museum, once you were almost out and free from the police, you thought of evidence behind the murder. You went back to help her even though it meant risking your escape. What were the motivations behind your actions? These events were all happening really fast but I trusted her after she told me about being the main suspect. I also felt like I had some time to spare due to the distraction we had caused. I felt that what I had thought of would clear my name or at least get me closer to clearing it. I believed that I would have a much better chance of getting off free if I could prove them wrong, rather then if I would have ran. 4. During your escape there were several instances Sophie used force such as pointing guns at people. What were your thoughts during these instances, were you scared?
Robert Langdon
It was extremely frightening and uncomfortable. I was scared not for myself but for the people she was hurting. I thought her force was a bit excessive but very necessary to aid us in our escape. I was okay with her actions because if she didn’t use such force we would have been turned over to the police. In any other circumstance I would have stopped her. 5. Due to the evidence found at the museum and you’re past knowledge you found out the man that was murdered did indeed belong to an organization called the priory of son. What were your first thoughts when you found this out? Does this give you more clues into why Jacques was murdered? I was always suspicious that he had belonged to this group, I had a slight suspicion that is why he called me to meet with him that night. When the evidence confirmed this, I was not very surprised, all it did was reassure myself I was correct. This perfectly explains everything both why he was murdered and why he left those strange markings on his body. There are people of the church that would rather lose the secret forever, which is why they would have killed him. He left the markings to make sure the secret was not lost after he died.
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Get Inside Laura Powers Welcome to the world of ancients Can you hear them They want to warn you not to try Can you hear them calling
Step up here and guess the riddle Look the lion in the eye Merlin’s staff and Raven’s fiddle Launch yourself into the sky
Step up here and guess the riddle Look the lion in the eye Merlin’s staff and Raven’s fiddle Launch yourself into the sky
I see you in the shadows I can read your mind Many men have failed the test Many men have tried To find the hidden treasure And to get inside Get inside, get inside
I see you in the shadows I can read your mind Many men have failed the test Many men have tried To find the hidden treasure And to get inside Get inside, get inside This room holds a timeless secret Can you feel it Its riches locked deep within Can you feel it calling
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One time I hear you answer Two times I hear you call These riches soon will haunt you I see the hammer fall
Getting Inside The Lyrics In society today there are many austere challenges that people have to overcome and many opportunities to take hold of. Get Inside talks about how people go through challenges everyday but only few people succeed. I believe that the theme of this song is that there are challenges and opportunities every day and many people try to overcome those challenges or take hold of those opportunities but not many succeed. To get this message across in the song the author also uses figurative language. For example, she uses personification, “can you feel it calling,” to portray the temptation of wanting to go after that opportunity or challenge. She also uses hyperbole, “launch yourself into the sky,” to exaggerate the feeling of happiness you will garner if you complete the challenge or take hold of that opportunity. Furthermore, she has another example of hyperbole, “I can read your mind.” This is just an exaggeration to create a more dramatic affect and it represents the tantalizing feeling that you get, when you feel like everyone is watching you when you try and overcome that challenge. This song relates to my book because the theme of my book and the theme of this song are very similar. In the song Get Inside it talks about how there is a room holding secrets and how many people have tried but none have succeeded. Likewise, in my book Robert Langdon is trying to gain access to a room that holds the secrets of the Holy Grail. The song relates to this because it is basically explaining the scenes from my book. For example in the song it says, “Many men have tried to find the hidden treasure, and get inside.” Additionally, in the book there is a scene when Robert Langdon gets inside the room to find the Holy Grail, which would be the treasure. In short, the themes in both my book the Da Vinci code and the song Get Inside are extremely indistinguishable. They both are about overcoming challenges that people before you could not complete.
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I’m from the Enigma’s of symbology. Unraveling a mystery as if it were a intricate maze. Age-old secrets woven in-between the walls. From pictures and hieroglyphics. Symbols and words. The timeless mystery of the Holy Grail. I’m from the university. From formal silky suits and expensive textbooks. From antagonizing lectures and superior ideas. Proffers and students flowing through the hallways like the currents of a river. I’m from the university, a life as dull as a butter knife, and as repetitive as a broken record. The night at the Louvre, feelings of c ourage, change, bravery and boldness shrouding me like a thick cloud of smoke. A wanted man, feeling a rush of adrenaline that makes your heart pound out of your chest. A feeling as foreign as a first visit to a new country or the rough, sandy, degraded feeling of a lost artifact. I’m from Paris, the magnificent art of the Louvre, to the majestic architecture of the Eiffel tower. From the dark, dank, unnerving catacombs under neath the streets. From the comforting atmosphere of the café’s with the sweet scent of fresh baked goods in the air. Lights of the city sparkling like stars in the sky. 8
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Feature
Article
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The Da Vinci Code In Grade 8
hen Robert Langdon found the cryptic quote, “Oh Draconian Devil, O Lame Saint.” Scrawled in blood across the floor of the Louvre, he immediately knew that there was more to this occurrence than everyone had thought. This is one of the many puzzles in the Da Vinci code; this particular anagram comes out as “Leonardo Da Vinci, The Mona Lisa.” The Da Vinci code has sold 80 million copies as of 2009, has been translated into 44 different languages and has also been adapted into a Hollywood movie. It is an outstanding novel, and I believe that the Da Vinci code should be included in the grade 8 curriculum. I believe this because it has 3 key elements of a good novel. It has a Complex, mysterious storyline, figurative, rich descriptive language and a suspenseful plot. One of the principal reasons behind why I believe that the Da Vinci code should be included in the grade 8 curriculum is because it has a complex, mysterious storyline. Throughout the Da Vinci code the plot is teeming with puzzles. These many puzzles not only make the storyline more interesting but also give it a mysterious, mystifying feel.
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The Enigma’s present in this book will capture reader’s attention so well that they will find it hard to put the book down. One vivid example of this is “Suddenly, now, despite all the precautions despite all the fail-safes Jacques Sauniere was the only remaining link, the sole guardian of the most powerful secrets ever kept.” This example shows that further into the book there will be much mystery and that the events in this story will go deep into a complex secret kept by this group of people. The second and probably most crucial and critical reason from an education point of view is that the Da Vinci code uses figurative, rich descriptive language. Throughout the course of the Da Vinci code the author uses substantial examples of figurative language. He also describes what is happening so in depth that it is almost as if you are there, in the pages of the novel. This novel has such highcaliber examples of rich language that readers will be able to learn from these examples and showcase them in their own writing. One outstanding example of figurative language is “And he felt like a ghost…transparent…floating from seaport to seaport.” This example is just one of many brilliant metaphors and similes present in the Da Vinci code. The final reason why I believe that the Da Vinci code should in fact be included in the grade 8 curriculum is very similar to the first but still of the utmost importance. 10
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I believe this because it has a suspenseful plot it will capture reader’s attention easily. The Da Vinci code has suspense throughout he entire novel. There is not once in the entire book where the level of suspense and intrigue is diminished. Here is an example from the novel “Wincing in pain, he summoned all of his faculties and strength. The desperate task before him, he knew, would require every remaining second of his life.� This example shows evidence of how suspenseful this book really is. This part makes you almost want to skip a few pages because you will be incredibly anxious to see what happens next. Once again, the Da Vinci code has all necessary elements to be included in the grade 8 curriculum. It has a suspenseful plot so that it will keep the readers interest from start to finish regardless of their interest in reading. It has a ton of rich language that will benefit students and teachers from more of an educational point of view. Lastly, the novel has a complex and mysterious plot that will not only keep readers guessing but also capture their interest from start to finish. With these three criteria I believe that the Da Vinci code is more than suitable for the grade 8 curriculum
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