The Da Vinci Code

Dan Brown

Get this SparkNote to go!

Key Facts

full title ·  The Da Vinci Code

author · Dan Brown

type of work · Novel

genre · Thriller

language · English

time and place written · Early twenty-first century; the United States

date of first publication · March 2003

publisher · Doubleday

narrator · Third-person, anonymous, omniscient narrator

point of view · The narrator speaks from the point of view of several characters, describing what they see and hear. The narrator also provides background information and pieces of knowledge unknown to other characters.

tone · Objective, earnest

tense · Past

setting · The present day

place · Paris, France; Versailles, France; London, England; outskirts of Edinburgh, Scotland

protagonists · Robert Langdon; Sophie Neveu

major conflict · The protagonists attempt to interpret the message left behind by Jacques Saunière and find the hidden secret of the Priory of Sion.

rising action · The search for the secret, which is aided by the clues left behind by Jacques Saunière

climax · Leigh Teabing reveals himself as the man behind the murders of the Priory of Sion, and Langdon and Sophie discover who killed Jacques Saunière.

falling action · The protagonists go to Rosslyn Chapel, where they discover Sophie’s family. Langdon goes to the Louvre, where he discovers what he thinks is the resting place of the Grail.

themes · The false conflict between faith and knowledge; the subjectivity of history; the intelligence of women

motifs · Ancient and foreign languages; art; sexism

symbols · Red hair; blood; cell phones

foreshadowing · Teabing’s questions to Sophie about whether she would reveal the secret to the world if she had the choice foreshadows the later revelation of Teabing’s obsession with the necessity of revelation. Rémy’s slowness in helping Teabing when Silas is assaulting him foreshadows his involvement with Silas and his desire to steal the keystone.

Readers' Notes allow users to add their own analysis and insights to our SparkNotes—and to discuss those ideas with one another. Have a novel take or think we left something out? Add a Readers' Note!

More Help

Buy the ebook of this SparkNote on BN.com

Easy to view on your iPod, phone, or ereader.

EVEN MORE HELP! ↓

Take a Study Break

SparkLife

Star Trek gets SEXY

Chris Pine and Zoe Saldana heat up the red carpet!

SparkLife

Are you afraid of relationships?

Auntie SparkNotes can help!

SparkLife

Wanna get JLaw's gorgeous glow?

Click here for simple, sexy makeup tricks!

SparkLife

Sexy starlet style

See every single look from the Met Gala!

SparkLife

Who'd be on your zombie-apocalypse crew?

We already dib'sed Genghis Khan.

Geek out!

The MindHut

Geeky Actors: Then and Now

Travel back in time!

The MindHut

Villains We Want These Actresses to Play

From super cute to super bad!

The MindHut

10 Movies Better Than Their Books

What do you think?

The MindHut

How To Look Like J-Law...

When you don't look like J-Law.

The MindHut

12 Scientific Inaccuracies in Into Darkness

What did Star Trek get wrong?

The Book

Cover image

Read What You Love, Anywhere You Like

Get Our FREE NOOK Reading Apps