New Historicist Perspective of Dan Brown,s Angels and Damons about Antisemitism

Abstract

Background: Angels and Demons by Dan Brown is a well-known thriller that discusses science, religion and secret societies. Though the novel bypass’s Jewish identity, its ideas are rooted in well-known European novels that have promoted antisemitic thinking over time. The analysis explores how particular ideologies influence the novel by using symbols, themes and historical references.
Aim: This study aimed to explore implicit antisemitic representations in Angels and Demons using a New Historicist perspective.
Methods: The literary analysis used was qualitative, guided by New Historicism. I used extensive reading of the novel, together with historical texts, literary writings and cultural studies, to collect my data. Methods of theme analysis, historical context and comparative studies were used to spot and analyze patterns shaped by antisemitic tropes and blank spaces in ideas.
Results: Several themes were found, such as Catholic authority, making secret societies out to be enemies and forgetting Jewish identity, all of which show historical patterns of discrimination. Like in traditional antisemitic stories, the film employs dualism (light/darkness) and ideas of conspiracy, but without bringing up Jewish identity directly.
Conclusion: Although it is not outright antisemitic, the novel shows elements of society that make Jewish voices less noticeable. It stresses the role of careful reading and including all types of characters in current literature.