Thesis (M.A.)--Bowling Green State University, 2007. / Document formatted into pages; contains vi, 93 p. Includes bibliographical references.

This essay investigates why the Myth of the Holy Grail continue to occur within popular culture. Myths, tales and legends from ancient times have inspired authors throughout the centuries. The readers are not only served with a spectacular adventure, but the myths also contain messages with a moral and ethical guidance for us as beholders. This particular myth can be found within different media in our time and the essay will attempt to give some answers as to why the myth reappears in new forms over and over again. An analysis is performed by using the methodology of aesthetic reception within reception theory. The material chosen for the analysis is the work of art; The Da Vinci Code by author Dan Brown, where two different media forms will be represented, the novel and the film. The findings in the analysis revealed that the key to understanding the reasons for the occurrence of this medieval myth is the element of a quest that is present within the myth. This ingredient, where you embark on an adventure, will create feelings of excitement for the beholder. A second aspect found is that we as humans have an interest in our history. Therefore, myths and legends from our historical past will be naturally alluring for beholders and especially if they are linked to philosophical questions and ideas that can be applied to our modern society. The success that has followed The Da Vinci Code has its explanation in the fact that Brown has managed to make the myth of the Holy Grail more contemporary, the myth has then been rejuvenated. A suggestion for further research is to perform a study on beholders in focus group interviews in order to validate the findings in the analysis.

This essay investigates the characteristics of Robert Langdon and his female helpers in Dan Brown’s novels Angels and Demons, The Da Vinci Code, The Lost symbol and Inferno.  In each of these novels, the quests are always solved by a male-female team. This essay is therefore going to focus on the character of Robert Langdon and his female helpers with the perspective of the Monomyth by Joseph Campbell. The protagonist Robert Langdon is a Harvard University professor specialised in religious iconology and symbology, but in these four novels he is thrown into breath-taking adventures with dangerous situations, however, with the help of several females he always manages to survive. The aim of this essay is to show how Langdon and his female helpers have the characteristics of a contemporary hero and helper, with the perspective of Campbell’s the Monomyth. Keywords: Character Analysis, Robert Langdon, Hero, Female Helper, the Monomyth, Angels and Demons, The Da Vinci Code, The Lost Symbol, Inferno.

De nos jours, les avatars et les réécritures du mythe du Graal puisent leur source d'inspiration dans la Littérature puisque la première mention littéraire de ce schème apparaît à la fin du XIIeme siècle dans Perceval ou le conte du Graal de Chrétien de Troyes. De par des origines ambivalentes (païennes et chrétiennes), le Graal s'est ancré dans l'imaginaire collectif comme un mythe rédempteur ou tout du moins, étant un idéal à atteindre. Si la quête médiévale chevaleresque demande une rigueur incomparable et une pureté d’âme et de corps pour mériter la révélation des mystères du Saint Calice aujourd’hui, les héros de la littérature populaire et de la culture de masse accèdent à ses secrets par le vecteur d’en-quêtes simplifiées. La dévaluation du mythe s'effectue à mesure des transferts qui s’opèrent dans différents genres, supports et médias mais également dans la réception que la société a du mythe du Graal. De Saint Graal à Graal, de Littérature à paralittérature, de la Bible à la télévision, ce travail cherche à mettre en évidence les différents aspects de ces transferts et tente de prouver qu'il existe des résonances et des points d'articulation entre ces domaines par l'interface du Graal. Dans ce sens, le motif sert aussi de porte-à-faux à une culture et à une littérature dites « mineures » qui peuvent toutefois, sous l'effet du Graal, devenir scientifiques et apporter de nouvelles pistes de réflexion sur le mythe, la société et la Littérature. / Nowadays, avatars and re-writings of the myth of the Grail take their inspiration from Literature because the first literary mention of the scheme appears at the end of the twelfth century in Perceval ou le conte du Graal by Chrétien de Troyes. Thanks to its ambivalent (pagan and christian) origins, the Grail anchored in the collective imaginary as a myth of redemption or, at least, an ideal to reach. If the chivalric medieval quest requires a remarkable rigor and the body and soul purity to deserve the revelation of the Holy Vessel mysteries, in our days, mass culture heroes have an access to its secrets by simplified “quest-igations”. The devaluation of the subject occurs through transpositions in different genres, mediums and medias but also in the way society receives the Grail legend. From Holy Grail to Grail, from Literature to mass culture, from the Holy Bible to TV shows, this study tends to show the aspects of these transpositions and tries to prove that there are echos and exchanges between these mediums via the Grail. Following that point of view, the theme functions also as a overhang for what some call “minor” culture and literature that can, however, under the Grail influence, become scientific and bring new pieces of reflection concerning the myth, society and Literature.

The MA paper focuses on the problem of the genre of Dan Brown’s novel The Da Vinci Code. In the paper various concepts of the literary genre, especially the novel, in modern literary theory are presented and reviewed. All theories of the novel distinguish the following main genre constituents: plot, setting, character, thematic range, the narrator and point of view, intertextuality, and others. The analysis reveals that there are four subplots, apart from the main plot line; at some crucial moments, or in most dramatic scenes, the plotlines crisscross or merge. Robert Langdon and Sophie Neveu are the protagonists of the novel; the Teacher-Teabing and Silas are the villains; and the minor characters are: Bezu Fache, Bishop Aringarosa, and others. The protagonists and the villains are psychological characters. The novel deals with a number of problems: love and family – the main problem is Christ’s marriage of Mary Magdalene and their posterity; the problem has been supposedly hidden in Leonardo da Vinci’s works, especially the fresco “The Last Supper”; the theme of art, the conflict between science and religion, etc. The research discovers that there is a fusion of several generic forms in The Da Vinci Code. It also shows that the novel can be placed in traditional and most recent literary culture. / Šis Deno Brauno romanas gali būti priskirtas daugiau nei vienam šiuolaikinės populiarios literatūros žanrui. Žanro teorijų apžvalga parodė, kad pati literatūrinio žanro sąvoka yra neryškiai apibrėžta, tačiau visos teorijos identifikuoja kelis žanrą formuojančius elementus – siužeto struktūra, veiksmo vieta ir laikas, charakteriai, plėtojamos temos (problemos), intertekstualumas ir kiti. Deno Brauno Da Vinčio kodas turi keleto klasikinės ir šiuolaikinės populiarios literatūros žanrų bruožų ir pilnai arba iš dalies atitinka tų žanrų reikalavimus. Siužeto analizė parodė, kad romanas parašytas pagal tradicinio detektyvo, arba trilerio schemą: romanas prasideda nuo žmogžudystės po kurios seka nužudytojo kuratoriaus mįslių išnarpliojimas ir tikrų nusikaltelių nubaudimas. Charakterių analizė atskleidė klasikinio detektyvo charakterių sistemą: kelios aukos, žudikas-įrankis, nusikaltimų organizatorius, detektyvai, policija. Nuolat pakartojama mintis apie Jėzaus Kristaus ir Marijos Magdalietės santuoką, bei romantiški romano herojų Roberto ir Sofi jausmai vienas kitam suteikia Da Vinčio kodui meilės romano žanro bruožų. Valdžios troškimo tema atskleista per vyskupo Aringarosos ir paslaptingojo Mokytojo charakterius, suteikia romanui trilerio bruožų ir paslaptingumo. Meno tema ir mįslės susijusios su Leonardo da Vinčio kūriniais, o taip pat aiškinami simboliai ir minimos slaptos draugijos suteikia romanui detektyvo, simbologinės ir sąmokslo literatūros bruožų. Knygoje gausu... [toliau žr. visą tekstą]

The theoretical part of the thesis in his first chapter of the book deals with a phenomenon that accompanies since its inception and how it affects us the literary world. The next phase will analyze literary types and origin of fiction itself, which strongly supported the reading culture and to encourage the creation of rights bestsellers. The next section will focus on the book and its difficult journey from writer to designer, printers and finally to the reader. The next phase deals with books in physical and electronic form, the reader walks of life and then directly bestseller term, as the current phenomenon of literary culture. Then represents one of the writers Dan Brown and his books of content and visual aspects. The last part will deal with the linking book design and art education in the practical part of the thesis description of the treatment, resulting arises file publishing a collection of selected books by Dan Brown.

De nos jours, les avatars et les réécritures du mythe du Graal puisent leur source d'inspiration dans la Littérature puisque la première mention littéraire de ce schème apparaît à la fin du XIIeme siècle dans Perceval ou le conte du Graal de Chrétien de Troyes. De par des origines ambivalentes (païennes et chrétiennes), le Graal s'est ancré dans l'imaginaire collectif comme un mythe rédempteur ou tout du moins, étant un idéal à atteindre. Si la quête médiévale chevaleresque demande une rigueur incomparable et une pureté d'âme et de corps pour mériter la révélation des mystères du Saint Calice aujourd'hui, les héros de la littérature populaire et de la culture de masse accèdent à ses secrets par le vecteur d'en-quêtes simplifiées. La dévaluation du mythe s'effectue à mesure des transferts qui s'opèrent dans différents genres, supports et médias mais également dans la réception que la société a du mythe du Graal. De Saint Graal à Graal, de Littérature à paralittérature, de la Bible à la télévision, ce travail cherche à mettre en évidence les différents aspects de ces transferts et tente de prouver qu'il existe des résonances et des points d'articulation entre ces domaines par l'interface du Graal. Dans ce sens, le motif sert aussi de porte-à-faux à une culture et à une littérature dites " mineures " qui peuvent toutefois, sous l'effet du Graal, devenir scientifiques et apporter de nouvelles pistes de réflexion sur le mythe, la société et la Littérature.

《達文西密碼》這部作品在成為最暢銷的小說後，吸引了世界上許多各式各樣不同的讀者。然而在暢銷市場之外，這部作品卻被許多評論家認為是一部扭曲史實的作品；幾乎所有的評論家都一致認為這是一部充滿歷史錯誤與邏輯矛盾的創作。不過令人訝異的是，幾乎沒有任何評論家是從文學理論批評的角度來檢視這份虛擬的小說創作。 因此，本文除盡可能檢視過去所有探討及批評《達文西密碼》的文章外，筆者將探討文中引含的兩種能量：權力與抵抗。這兩種力量其實在此書中一直是兩股此起彼落的流動能量，筆者將採取文學理論的角度去探索此書裡的權力與抵抗互動脈絡；而且，在這之後，筆者會試著從理論面向，深入檢視造成《達文西密碼》一書全球風潮之因。 本論文將分作四個章節，在首章中，我會回顧其他批評及評論家對《達文西密碼》一書的見解，第二章則是對應用於此書中的文學理論的鋪陳及探討，第三 章則是則分別討論傅科 (Michael Foucault) 的權力、克里多娃 (Julia Kristeav) 的母性抵抗，以及以瑟 (Wolfgang Iser) 的越界 (Boundary crossing ) 理論，如何運作在《達文西密碼》一書當中。最末章的總結則點出此本小說其實不僅僅 是許多評論家眼中的一本充滿不實與問題的作品；相反的，它不但揭露出權力及抵抗兩種能量的運作和依存關係，而且也解釋了這本書造成閱讀風潮的原因，也就是讀者心中的那份永不滿足的失落。 / Having been one of the most popular recent works of fiction, The Da Vinci Code has attracted readers throughout the world. Yet, many critics have commented that The Da Vinci code is a work full of historical mistakes. Almost no critic analyzes the reason for its success from a theoretical perspective. The novel enchants readers because it suggests the unexpected ways that the meaning of the sacred feminine has been repressed throughout history. As the reader decodes the clues that are hidden throughout the novel, an undiscovered history is suggested: the myth of the Holy Grail. In The Da Vinci Code, the Holy Grail stands for Mary Magdalene, who carried and conceived Jesus Christ’s child. In the novel Mary carries a significant symbolic meaning because she is portrayed as the wife of Jesus as well as the mother of His daughter. This stunning premise is responsible for making The Da Vinci Code not only popular, but also very controversial. Critics vary in their reaction to the ‘subversive’ ideas in The Da Vinci Code, but there are two predominant kinds of reaction to the novel. The first type reflects the view that The Da Vinci Code is a popular work that encourages feminine, independent thinking that works in opposition to conventional and social power. The second views it as a fictitious work fraught with historical inaccuracies. Generally speaking, both types mention the issues of power and resistance in The Da Vinci Code. This thesis consists of four chapters that focus respectively on the search for power, feminine resistance, and boundary crossing narrative techniques. Chapter one introduces how critics analyze their conventional elements. In the second chapter, I intend to employ Michael Foucault, Julia Kristeva, and Wolfgang Iser’s theories in an analysis of The Da Vinci Code. In the third chapter, I will employ textual evidence to support my theoretical analysis. In the conclusion of my thesis, I will claim that only through the dialectic oscillation between transgression and law can the individual escape the symbolic control and discover resistance. Furthermore, the narrative technique of boundary crossing is the key that has made the book a runaway success throughout the world and that also renders the reader eager to explore their own world further. Finally I reach the conclusion that The Da Vinci Code is not merely a work full of errors and conspiracies, but also a novel that exposes the violence, resistance and sense of loss in contemporary society.

Kritiken och verkligheten söker utröna skillnader datorspelskritik och litteraturkritik emellan. Mina tankar rörande de två områdena kretsade till en början kring att litteraturkritiken tilläts röra sig mer fritt mellan olika kulturella sfärer medan datorspelskritiken mer hängav sig åt en yngre målgrupp utan referenser till andra kulturyttringar.   För att undersöka detta har jag gjort en diskuskursanalytisk undersökning efter van Dijks modell. Undersökningen inkluderar tolv analysenheter; tre böcker och tre spel. Varje verk har analyserats två gånger då jag analyserat recensioner från två olika tidningar (DN och SvD) för att komma än djupare i mina analyser kring hur aktuella böcker och spel behandlats. För att få spelen och böckerna något sånär jämförbara har jag ställt upp ett antal kriterier, där ett av de mer centrala är att samtliga verk har varit ett av de mest sålda verken ett givet år (2007-2009). Det är alltså "storsäljare" jag tittar på, i hopp om att de representerar de mest populära verken inom sitt fält.   För att göra denna undersökning och göra dessa jämförelser har jag utgått från Pierre Bourdieus begrepp "sociala fält" för att kunna bedöma när en recension lämnar sitt eget fält och äntrar ett annat. Detta begrepp är flexibelt så till vida att litteratur exempelvis kan anses vara ett fält, medan en nedskalning kan innebära att svensk feministlitteratur är ett annat, "mindre" fält. För att ytterligare närma mig kritikens, recensionens och värderingens värld har jag använt mig av Tomas Forser redogörelser och forskning kring vad dessa begrepp innebär. Jag har plockat ut ett antal, för uppsatsen, intressanta termer ur hans forskning för att konkretisera vissa delar av min teoretiska ram. Mina föreställningar om att litteraturartiklarna skulle inkludera långt fler referenser till andra sociala fält stämde inte helt och hållet, då vissa datorspelsartiklar var fullproppade med desamma. Däremot kom jag fram till att samtliga böcker anses säga något om verkligheten eller samhället, medan datorspelen aldrig antogs göra det.

The topic of this diploma thesis is the analysis of three novels (Il pendolo di Foucault and Numero zero by Umberto Eco and The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown) with usage of triadic model of literature. The thesis is based mainly on the concept of triadic model published by Umberto Eco in his study Apocalittici e integrati. The usage of his model is made difficult by the fact that the specific characteristics of the middle literary plane are not defined. Therefore we supplement Eco's concept with several additional studies. We hypothesized that Il pendolo di Foucault, Numero zero and The Da Vinci Code belong to the high, middle and low literary planes respectively. The results of this diploma thesis support our hypothesis. However, it is clear that the classification of Numero zero into the middle literary plane can be a matter of the discussion, while the specific characteristics of this plane are not yet strictly defined. The confirmation or refutation of the above mentioned hypothesis was not the only aim of this study. Additional aim was to focus on the novel which could belong to the middle literary plane and through the comparison with other novels contribute to the delimination of this literary plane. To this end, we found that the novel classified into middle literary plane uses very similar...