The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown

These are my views about following questions.
Ø  Suspense thriller is genre.
Ø  Have you come across any novels by Sidney Sheldon? No
Ø  Have you watched any films by Alfred Hitchcock? No
Ø  Mary Magdalene's role in the history of Christianity: The Church has suppressed the truth about Mary Magdalene and the Jesus bloodline for 2000 years. This is principally because they fear the power of the sacred feminine in and of itself and because this would challenge the primacy of Saint Peter as an apostle.
Mary Magdalene was of royal descent (through the Jewish House of Benjamin) and was the wife of Jesus, of the House of David. That she was a prostitute was slander invented by the Church to obscure their true relationship. At the time of the Crucifixion, she was pregnant. After the Crucifixion, she fled to Gaul, where she was sheltered by the Jews of Marseille. She gave birth to a daughter, named Sarah. The bloodline of Jesus and Mary Magdalene became the Merovingian dynasty of France.
The existence of the bloodline was the secret that was contained in the documents discovered by the Crusaders after they conquered Jerusalem in 1099 (Kingdom of Jerusalem). The Priory of Sion and the Knights Templar were organized to keep the secret. And the Church wants to bury the secret of Mary Magdalene.
Some more points which I found in this sitehttp://www.catholiceducation.org/en/controversy/common-misconceptions/the-da-vinci-code-the-facts-behind-the-fiction.html
: Who was Mary Magdalene according to the Scriptures?
 Mary Magdalene is mentioned 12 times in the Gospels. She was healed of demon possession by Jesus (Luke 8:2), was present at the Crucifixion and the tomb and was sent by the Risen Jesus to the apostles to announce the Good News. Her feast day is celebrated July 22.

Who was Mary Magdalene according to Dan Brown?
Brown says Mary Magdalene was of royal blood, of the tribe of Benjamin, and Jesus' wife. According to Brown, after the crucifixion, Mary, pregnant with Jesus' child, moved to France and became the root of the Merovingian royal family.
He also says Jesus intended for Mary to be the head of his Church (celebrating the sacred feminine, remember) but that Peter wrested power from her, suppressed evidence of Jesus' real intentions and set into motion a 2,000-year conspiracy to demonize Mary Magdalene.
According to The Da Vinci Code, the Church has also enforced ignorance about the existence of the descendents of Jesus.
Ø  Novel starts with facts about ‘Priory of Sion’ then prologue begins, in a way movie and novel both started same way but because of the time limit movie doesn’t show all the things together. But good and very much faithful movie affect much than novel. 
Ø  Novel is frontal attack on Christian faith and according to Brown there is always something which is not shown, which is hidden and people always believed on that things which is shown. Though novel is fiction but then also Brown claim that points which is already there in Christianity and history. About Jesus; that some believes that he was mortal and some believes that he was divine. About religious controversy that how religion becomes more necessary than duty (for Fache & Silas)
Ø  According to Dan Brown what really Holy Grail is: The Holy Grail is not a physical chalice, but a woman, namely Mary Magdalene, who carried the bloodline of Christ.
Holy Grail also called Sangreal derived from either Spanish ‘San Greal’ means ‘Holy Grail’ or French ‘Sang real’ means ‘Royal Blood’.
The Grail relics consist of the documents that testify to the bloodline, as well as the actual bones of Mary Magdalene.
The Grail relics of Mary Magdalene were hidden by the Priory of Sion in a secret crypt, perhaps beneath Rosslyn Chapel.
Concept: 1. Opus Dei-
Opus Dei, formally known as The Prelature of the Holy Cross and Opus Dei is an institution of the Roman Catholic Church that teaches that everyone is called to holiness and that ordinary life is a path to sanctity. Founded in Spain in 1928. Opus Dei organizes training in Catholic spirituality applied to daily life. Aside from personal charity and social work, Opus Dei members are involved in running universities, university residences, schools, publishing houses, and technical and agricultural training centers. (From Wikipedia)
2. Priory of Sion- a European secret society founded in 1099, Isaac Newton, Victor Hugo, Botticelli, Leonardo Da Vinci these are members of Priory of Sion.
3. Constantine- this also plays major role in the novel. Constantine was a Christian and he was baptized on his deathbed, Constantine didn’t create Jesus’ divinity he was divine.
Post viewing task:
The Da Vinci Code is more attractive than two others. Not only because it is suspense thriller murder mystery but it also has claims especially on Christian religion, so this narrative is convincing to the contemporary young mind.
Character of Ophelia in Kenneth Branagh’s Hamlet- we can say that she have no voice, she drawn herself means kind of ‘escapism’ from life and problems. In Frankenstein- Elizabeth is faithful to her love and she wait for Victor and she sacrifice all the things only for Victor or Sophie is different than Ophelia and Elizabeth because she have both the feminine qualities and masculine toughness together  while these qualities are absent in Ophelia an Elizabeth.
If we do atheist reading of the novel than Leigh Teabing will protagonist and Robert Langdon became antagonist of the novel.
Idea of knowability : relationship between known and knower is shown in many characters in the novel; for example Silas: he think that he know everything  so he is knower but we come of know that he know nothing.
“I don’t know what I don’t know” this sentence is reflecting here.
Even character of Sophie for her also kind of self-identification so she also know that she is descendent of Jesus, another is Leigh Teabing knows that Robert know the password. Robert Langdon’s quest for knowing is also presented here so idea of knowability played a vital role here.

One Night @ the call center by Chetan Bhagat

These are my views about the novel.
1.     Contemporary issues in on@tcc: a)
b)  In on@tcc Bhagat beautifully decribes the life of workers of the call center, he observe their life style and put all the characters in same situation. Workers of the call center are normal human being like us; they also face some kind of problem in their life. Every character has their desire but at some extent doesn’t fulfill it. Here in this novel Bhagat’s tone is pitch-perfect because he describe contemporary problem in his novel and even today call center are not highly regarded by society, so Bhagat keenly observe all this thing.
c) Bhagat’s novel deal with this thing: youth centered, love stories and backdrop of contemporary issues. Reader cannot fully understand the vision of author but we can say that Bhagat’s vision been shallow, means his work isn’t deeply philosophical but reader gain something from it. In this novel all the main characters are young except one Military Uncle. India is younger’s nation; younger’s have energy of doing better for themselves and country like Shyam and Vroom.
d) Yes Bhagat has an insight for the contemporary issues that are movers and shakers in India. Most of his work focuses on Contemporary issues.  Today’s important issues like Globalization or is English language is important? This type of issues is shown in his novel.
2.     Mannepean satire: seriocomic genre… Idea of loyalty, Bossism family values all things are shown in Bhagat’s work. For example: Military Uncle who missed his son he far away from his family here we are shown value of family. Other side Priyanka who have her own life, her own desire or her own happiness but she can’t cooperate her life or happiness for the sake of her mother’s. Bakshi is proper example of bossism. Bakshi kind of man is shown in society.
3.     The effect of Globalization: Thomas Friedman’s the world is flat is non fictional book. Novel on@tcc is deal with globalization Bhagat focus that now in globalized world man’s struggle with corporate world. Novel is not deeply focus on globalization but at some extent it touches the some elements of globalization.
 4.     Narrative Structure:
a.   Narrative structure is same in Bhagat’s novels, here some points about narrative structure: - prologue and epilogue, this is important for any work, we are shown that prologue and epilogue are very important in Bhagat’s book that gave us idea of story. Plot construction is also follows Aristotelian unities of time, place and action; Bhagat follows these unities in his work. Plot also governed by low of probability. And problem of dues ex machine- is also shown many of his work. For example: in on@tcc God’s call. We can interpret God as different way that it is “inner voice” or God = 1) intelligence 2) imagination 3) self-confidence or 4) failure. Here Bhagat tells readers that God is not physically come but he gave us solution or direction. In Life of Pie that situation is clearly shown that believe in God is depends on person. Narrator differentiates that how mother and father taught religious or practical lesson to son. Both have different views or solutions. Means we can apply this thing in real life. Other point is that be friendly with ‘rods’ means problems this also one important point in Bhagat’s narrative.
 
 
b) Narrative structure of the novel deal with so many things. Prologue gave us idea that how writer inspire to wrote story, and character of Shyam that represent may be Bhagat own self or he also represent lacks of young Indian people who live like Shyam. Yes narrative also follows the dream of the author in train, we can say that story begins in the train and ends in the train. Beautiful lady is also mysterious. We can also interpret her; that may be she is God or it is dream of the author. That isn’t clear but very beautifully author decribes things in step by step.  
 
5.     Popular Literature and ON@TCC: Popular literature is fiction that does not deal with abstract problems it take normal principals, it take moral principles as the given accepting certain generalized common sense, ideas and values as its base.
Popular literature does not raised answer of abstract questions. Normally literature gains when person suffers. Or popular literature remains quite different from the modern or narrative poem. In on@tcc this is problematic unrealistic characters or kind of superhuman it gave negative effect on the audience. Or a character seems to know everything. In reality it doesn’t happen. At some extent it is type of popular literature. But we cannot say that on@tcc is peace of popular literature.
6.     Self-help book and on@tcc: Self help is genre it is non-fictional genre. It is non-fictional but many fictional writers used it. It is kind of literature but not accepted by high literature. God’s call is important because it is twist of the story when God’s call came characters realized that what is important in life that “inner voice” and they even we have no time to listen inner voice. God’s call gave a new direction to think. God only show us direction or path but person have to walk upon this path alone. God or any other not came together.  In my opinion in real life this chance of such happens is not possible.
7. One of the themes of the novel is its anti-American sentiments which are intertwined with Nationalism. Had you been God, what would have been your answer to Vroom when he said "If only you had given India as much as America!"?
Vroom’s character is anti-American. And one of the themes of the novel is nationalism; Vroom who presents true reality of America and according to me every country has dark side.

Movie Review: Bey Yaar

Bey Yaar

Director: Abhishek Jain

Setting: Ahmadabad and different locations of Ahmadabad

Dialogue: Simple, typical Ahmadabadi and meaningful, clearly understandable.

After grand success of his first debut film ‘Kevi Rite Jais’ Abhishek Jain make Bey Yaar and it also achieve success.

Characters:

Kevin Dave played a role of Uday, movie begins with him, he is an artist and he is narrator of the story; who narrates the story of two friends. 1) Chako (Chintan) and 2) Tino (Tapan)

 Story moves around two friends and their desire, their plan and director mentioned some famous names of actors, directors as well as artists.

For example: Shubhas Ghai, Van Gogh, Al Pacino or even famous painter M.F. Hussein’s painting at tea stall.

Manoj Joshi played a role of Y.B.Gandhi; the art dealer. His character is very interesting because he uses Chintan’s innocent nature and played with his emotions. His character is gray shaded; he is very practical man and thinks like a businessman and he always think about his profit.

Another character is Darshan Jariwala who played a role of J.J.Bhatt, he is father of Chintan. He has tea stall named ‘J.J.Tea Stall’. Typical Indian father who teach moral lesson to his son. In the movie he is one of best friend of M.F.Hussein. He had painting it was gifted by Hussein and painting was sign of their friendship.

Pranav Doshi played a role of Prabodh Gupta who helped to both friends in their plan. Famous Gujarati columnist Jay Vasavda’s interview with Prabodh Gupta is also interwoven with it. All characters have ability to make laugh at their own situation.

Interesting study of woman character:

Hardly two woman characters are there 1) Chintan’s mother and 2) Samvedna Suwalka played a role of Jigisha. Jigisha is more clever and intelligent than other character, so her character played a vital role here. At some extent Jigisha’s character is compared with Sophie Neveu in The Da Vinci Code. Jigisha is smart girl and have ability to handle messy situation. Or she wonderfully manage technical problems, with the help of his friend she create fake account and make plan to defeat Gandhi and tried to get back pride and painting of Chintan’s father. She is ‘helping hand’ of both friends and she also has ability to maintain tough time between two friends.

Movie is best example of peace of art: here art plays major role, many dialogue represent artistic value. We are shown transience nature of art. Because art is constantly changing.

Movie also focus on moral standards or proverbs like; ‘loiwya hoy Tya> 2Utara wUqe na mre’, ‘jeva sa4e teva’, ‘kro tevu> wogvo’

Director focus middle class and their situation, setting of the movie prove that movie is simple tale of middle class man their desire and dignity. That how dignity is everything for not only middle class man but for all.

In short real essence of the movie is rustic locations, absence of ‘faka’, ‘dadagIrI’, ‘fighting’ etc but then also like to watch it again and again. We are shown some short of greed. Because of greed Chintan losses his father’s dignity and because of greed Gandhi does all the wrong things. Story moves around friendship so it also gave importance of true friend in one’s life and through Tapan’s character we came to know that what true friendship means. Bey Yaar is package of comic Gujarati movie with moral lesson and movie has also depth meaning and it has different interpretations or views. Bey Yaar is one of the best movies in Indian Gujarati cinema.

what is bad parenting?

Va>ak kono?

‘Aa j idvs jova ma3e peda kyoR to Aana krta pe3e p4ro j~__yo hot to saru hot’

Aava Daylog Avarnvar sa>w5va m5ta hoy 0e. Aih vat 0e s>tan Ane tena mabapnI, qas krIne Aavu> Tyare sa>w5va m5e jyare s>tan bgDI gyu hoy A4va pTnIviDyu (maviDya jevu>j) 4{ gyu> hoy s>tan bgDI jay potanu 2ayuR kre tema va>k kono? Aam to va>k bne p9e rhelo 0e, s>tanna bgDva pa05 mataipta p` jvabdar hoy 0e.

                               clo manI l{Ae s>tanna bgDva pa05 sama+k pirb5o jevake; qrab sobt, ih>sk ifLmo, Aaspasnu> vatavr` vgere p` 4oDa6`a A>xe wag wjve 0e.pr>tu mataipta Aava pirb5ono sharo l{ne potanI jvabdarI ma>4I 03kI n xke.qo3a rSte cDI gyelu> s>tan Jyare ko{nu>y mantu n4I Tyare mabap Aevo kk5a3 kre ke; Aema> Amaro xo va>k?

        pr>tu xu> Aa sTy 0e? ba5kno }0er mataiptana ha4ma> 0e Ane s>tan potano mo3awagno smy pirvarma ivtave 0e Tyare mabap ne ja` hovI jo{Aeke potanu> ba5k xu> krI rHyu> 0e? kya> rSte j{ rhyu 0e. sara ke qrab.

                      Aaj iv8y }pr p_Qyat leqIka v8aR pa#ke p` ta-1-10-14 na  sOra*3\smacarnI pUitR ‘k5x’ ma> potana ivcar rjU kyaR tem`e bhuu srs vat krI;

                              “ba5kone doSt g`va jo[Ae AevI vato krnara 6`a> pereN3sne wan n4I hotu> ke Aemna Ae doSto moDI rate kya> hoy 0e, Are 6`a> to Aemna> s>tanona doStona> nam4I Ae Aja` hoy 0e. h+ la{sNs p` n m%yu> hoy Aeva s>tanona ha4ma> mabap karnI cavI AapI deta hoy 0e, Ane p0I k>{ n bnvanu bnI jay Tyare ma4e ha4 d[ne rDe ne v5I lokonI shanuwUit magta fre ne khe ke; Aajkalna 0okra>v Ap`u> kya> k{ sa>w5e 0e Aene ko{ pU0e nih> ke tme 0okra>ne k[ kI2elu> qru>? s>tano nana hoy Tyare mabap AemnI b2Iye +d pUrI kre 0e. Kyarek deqadeqI to Kyarek q/Udno Apra2wav !a>kva ma3e AemnI Aadto bgaDe 0e. qudne moDRn,bo/_D Maa[NDeD g`avvana cKKrma> s>tanone k>[ pU0ta n4I.p0I k>a[ po/Blem 4ay to khevanu ke jmano qrab 0e, nvI pe!I qrab 0e, Ame xU> krI xkIAe? hkIktma> Aane ‘Bad parenting’ khevay?

                                   s>tano k>[ saru vqa`valayk krI Aave Tyare mMmI pPpa bhu> ra+ 4[ne kheke; Aato Amara s>Skar 0e, to p0I qrab 4ay Tyare p` teno yx-Apyx levo jo[Ae ne?”

                     Tyare mataipta Aem kem n4I kheta ke Aa to Amara s>Skar 0e? Ae j pUitRma> Do. xrd #akrnI kolmno Aek perega_f Aih> iblkul b>2besto j`ay 0e ke; “ma`s wiv*yma> kevu> vtRn krxe Ae ma3e Aeno jNm, )ait, ku5, }0er, sobt, ix9`, va>cn, ke p0I hjaro v8oR4I Aena D.N.A. ma> ]trI Aavela +nei3k s>Skaro ko[j wag nhI> wjvta hoy?”

                      A>te jo s>tan ivxe ‘=her cetv`I’, ‘Amara Khyama> n4I’ jevI =her qbro na AapvI hoy to ATyar4Ij cetjo! s>tanne sara mageR calva devu> ke qrab Ae kona ha4ma> 0e?  Aema> iryl va>k kono? A>te jo s>tan na mane to tene tena hal pr 0oDI devu> Kyarek to Aene p` wan Aavxene!  

Drashti Dave - written in Date:16-10-14

 (Inspired by Versa Pathak’s Article: Date:1-10-14)

The Birthday party: task

The Birthday Party: title of the play indicate that someone’s birthday party may be celebrated in the play but after studying the play we come to know that there isn’t any party. Play is known as ‘comedy of menace’ and absurd.

                                                    What is comedy of menace? What is absurdity? What are the symbols, what each symbol indicate? What are the changes between movie and play?

Here I am giving answers about above questions which are asking in worksheet of The Birthday Party, so I hope it may helpful to others.

Here I am sharing my viewpoints about the play.

 Pre viewing task: Comedy of menace: The phrase “comedy of menace” as a standalone description inspires both positive and negative feelings. Comedy is used during a dangerous situation to cause audiences to draw judgments about a particular character or communication. The words used are the focus of often powerful stories that create conflicting emotions from its audience. The title “Comedy of Menace” immediately brings contradictions to mind, because comedy is generally something that makes people laugh, and the word "menace" implies something threatening. Quite literally, then, this phrase involves laughing at an ominous situation.

This phrase is part of the title of a British play called The Lunatic View: a Comedy of Menace, by David Campton. Irving Wardle, a critic in the 1950s, emphasized the phrase when writing a review of the plays of Harold Pinter. Wardle used "comedy of menace" in a review of several of Pinter's works, although at the time he had seen only one, The Birthday Party.

Some plays are able to successfully mingle drama with comedy. One specific example from The Birthday Party is a character joking around about being in a menacing situation.

Phrase “comedy of menace” often applied to his early plays like; “The Room”, “The Birthday Party” and “A Slight Ache”. Menacing situation is shown in all above plays.

A particular atmosphere: It also created by Pinter’s ability to drop suddenly from a high comic level into deep seriousness. By this technique the audience is made aware that the comedy is only at surface layer. The sudden outbreaks of violence (verbal/physical?) in the play confirm this and leave the audience unsure of what will come next.

While we are talking about atmosphere there is some kind of fear in the play but that – fear for what? – by whom? But this type of question is remaining unanswered. Just as Stanley or Meg is the main vehicle for comedy in the play; so one more question arises that is he the main vehicle for the presentation of fear? Or is any other character frightened?

Answer of this question is yes because tone of the play is tragic or fearful but fear of what? It isn’t clear. All the characters are suffering from some unknown fear. May be possible that characters are laugh to forget their fear; they live in a past or avoid seeing in mirror because of fear.

The room or house represents security from the outside world but sadly it is impossible to sustain. So we can say that atmosphere is freighting.

Painteresque: Swedish Academy defines characteristic of painteresque where people are at the mercy of each other and pretence crumbles. With a minimum plot, dramas emerge from the power struggle and hide and seek of interlocution…...

‘The Birthday Party’ as a Political Play with reference to Harold Pinter’s Noble Speech: ‘Art, Truth & Politics: in that Pinter clarify that; “There are no hard distinctions between what is real and what is unreal nor between what is true and what is false. A thing is not necessarily either true or false it can be both true or false” and je further says that I always start a play by calling the characters A, B, and C...It’s strange moment the moment of creating characters who up to that moment have had no existence.

 And now he talks about art and politics: he says that political language as used by politicians which is not in truth but in power -the real truth is that there never is any such thing as one truth to be found in dramatic art. There are many. These truths challenge each other, recoil from each other, reflect each other, ignore each other, these each other are blind to each other…

In his speech he very beautifully and logically argues about his play with real situation, truth in drama is forever elusive. He further talks about U.S. and says that ‘I spoke earlier about tapestry of lies and describes Nicaragua as a ‘totalitarian dungeon’

While viewing task:

 Pinter’s Birthday Party film and the play in article: in that Harriet and Irving Deer says quality of Pinter’s style in both play and film. They says that he is an accomplished writer in both drama and film, Pinter is faithful to the texture of the play, movie starts with early in the morning, shots of car driving camera is moving first car and then point of view of driver. Both film and play seems to be trivia. Sense of emptiness and menace comes primarily in the film, so it is Pinter’s purpose in both to magnify trivia he used meaningful techniques in film.

Magnified ripping sound as McCann tears his newspaper or party in which we see the room looks like cage it is more clearly visible while game blind-man’s bluff. It is Pinter’s technique he shifts from an emphasis on people in the play to an emphasis on things in the film. He beautifully writes as well as shut.

How many times the ‘knocking at the door’ happens in the play? So many times knocking the door happens and yes it is creating menacing effect while viewing the movie.

Silence and Pauses are very important and Pinter successfully does it in movie during the conversation between Meg and Stanley or conversation between McCann, Goldberg and Stanley this time he uses pauses and silence.

Newspaper: play and movie both open with scene of Petey reading newspaper and Meg working in the kitchen Meg asking him that what is in the news. Here asking someone and telling someone is itself shows power-position.

Mirror: is also one of the symbol in Pinter’s plays, mirror image is always a kind of unrealistic or lie image which shows what we are.

Breakfast: Meg giving Petey corn flex it shows she makes fuss over everything the paper, the fried bread, or her housekeeping anything.  The whole breakfast scene is reminiscent of the king of domestic trivia.

Toy drum: in the act one ends that time Meg gave toy drum to the Stanley, it remains to the end. It is well-intentioned but stupid present.

Window-hatch: from that Stanley shows who is coming because he frighten from some unknown fear and from window we can’t see full sight means we only shown half thing or unclear thing. At the end of the movie Petey also shoes in the window.

One more symbol I want to include that is;

Door: it is very important symbol because first it gives threatening sound and also symbol of some fearful feeling, knocking the door create menacing image.

Each scene has symbolic meaning. Interrogation scene- in that McCann, Goldberg is force to sit down to Stanley in that repetition of the dialogue or situation like Stanley is sitting down and they both standing up shows power-position.

Birthday party scene- in that Stanley constantly saying it isn’t my birthday. In that all are playing game blind-man’s bluff it shows different point of views of each character. Room is look like prison in that Stanley searching something.

Resistance scene: in that Stanley who is now clean shaved, once again Goldberg and McCann subject him to an unendurable verbal barrage, but it is superfluous Stanley will to resist has vanished and he can only make meaningless sound.

Post viewing task:

At some extant movie is giving the effect of menace but reading and seeing both are very much different reading is  always more effective than reading while reading interrogation scene McCann and Goldberg are force to Stanley for sit down and they asking Stanley some unclear thing that we don’t know context this are menacing situation while viewing this effect we can’t feel.

With which of the following observations you agree:  I am agree with this; “It's impossible to imagine a better film of Pinter's play than this sensitive, disturbing version directed by William Friedkin”

If you were director or screenplay writer, what sort of difference would you make it the making of movie? – movie is very much faithful to the original play in my opinion everything is okay no need to change or add in the movie and direction or screen play writing it isn’t my cup of tea, but I want to change Petey’s character, he played very minor role so I want to give more space to his character.

All actors’ plays beautifully and faithfully played their role but Stanley’s acting much affect me.

So these are my opinions about the play.  At last thanks to Dilip Barad sir for gave me advice to post it on my blog.