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Chapter 4
Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in The Da Vinci Code, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Conspiracies and Secrets
Art and Symbolism
Faith vs. Knowledge
Sacred Femininity and Revisionist History
Power and Manipulation
Summary
Analysis
Bishop Manuel Aringarosa leaves Opus Dei National Headquarters in New York City, bound for the airport. Flying to Rome, Aringarosa senses he is battling a threat and winning. He is president-general of Opus Dei, a conservative Catholic organization founded in 1928 by Josemaria Escrivá, which encourages its members to sacrifice themselves to the “Work of God.” Nowadays, Opus Dei is the fastest-growing Catholic organization in the world, with international residence halls and teaching centers. The media often greets this success with suspicion, questioning the practice of self-flagellation in particular. Certain misguided members have tarnished Opus Dei’s reputation, including FBI spy Robert Hanssen, who turned out to be a “sexual deviant.”
The novel intentionally withholds Aringarosa’s reasons for flying to Rome. But the fact that he runs Opus Dei—the Catholic organization Silas referenced earlier—suggests he is somehow involved in the murder conspiracy, especially since he feels he is overcoming a threat. Opus Dei is classified as conservative, meaning its teachings favor tradition and strict doctrine over modern liberalism. Aringarosa believes his critics sensationalize the occasional misguided member rather than seeing the organization for what it truly is. Regardless, his status in Opus Dei makes him a powerful man.
Themes
Aringarosa thinks of Opus Dei’s critics (including the Opus Dei Awareness Network, which collects cautionary tales from former members) as fearing what they don’t understand. But five months ago, Opus Dei confronted a new threat, against which Aringarosa has taken war-like action. On the plane, he discreetly answers a phone call. The caller reports that Silas has located the keystone, but they require Aringarosa’s influence to retrieve it. Back in Paris, Silas cleans his fresh wounds. He has been following The Way—Opus Dei’s foundational text—for 10 years, but he now feels his former self has been called into battle on God’s behalf. He dresses himself in a hooded monk’s robe, knowing he has started a chain reaction.
While Aringarosa is irritated by his critics, the organization is currently facing a different and more pressing threat. It’s likely that the Teacher is the person contacting Aringarosa, since whoever it is is also in contact with Silas. That they require Aringarosa’s influence emphasizes his powerful status in the world of Catholicism. Silas confirms that he is a member of Opus Dei, though he is partially abandoning “The Way” to take violent action against God’s enemies.
Themes
