The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown character analysis - Essay Example

Esha Chatterjee Character Analysis 20.06.2006 CHARACTER ANALYSIS Introduction This paper shall be dealing with the analysis of the character, 'Silas' from the fictional book 'The Da Vinci Code' by Dan Brown. Silas is a character who is subjected to a traumatic and unrealistic life right from his childhood. Silas' life is different right from the start, when he is born an albino1. He suffered a traumatic childhood, as his drunken father regularly beat his mother for the albino son. The father blamed her for the boy's embarrassing condition. She finally dies and Silas starts blaming himself, thinking that he is responsible for his mother's death. Enraged with his father, Silas kills him and runs away from home. However his worries have only just begun. Being an albino, he is mocked on the streets and is forced to stay alone. With time, this creates a violent nature in him. Stray incidents leave him with an official warning and finally in prison. Even there he has to endure taunting gibes. His life improves a little when he is rescued from this "hell" by the Bishop. For the first time in his life, he is shown kindness. But again, he becomes a strong and blind follower of the Opus Dei; subjecting himself to physical and mental torture. He works as an accomplice in a series of crimes, thinking that he is doing the work of God. Finally when he dies, the reader cannot help but feel pity for this soul whose life was a tale of sorrow right from the beginning. Diagnosis: The character Silas suffers various psychological disorders throughout his life which can be analyzed using the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV) (Psy Mental Health Site. "DSM-IVTM Multiaxial System"). Analyzing the symptoms of Silas, using Axis I2 , he may be diagnosed of having Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome (PTSD).In his life, Silas suffers the traumatic experience of his mother being killed and also the trauma of prison life. These give him an intense feeling of horror, helplessness and fear. These memories haunt him throughout his life. In such a syndrome, the victim reacts in a physiological manner to any aspect of the event. This is seen in Silas' life at the age of 18 when two sailors catch him stealing him food. The smell of beer from them remind him of his father and he kills one of them (Dan Brown.Pg.61). The fact that he avoids thoughts or places related to the event can be understood from the following line, "Having returned to France for the first time since being arrested and shipped to Andorra, Silas could feel his homeland testing him, dragging violent memories from his redeemed soul".(Dan Brown. Pg.79).In such cases, the victim cannot remember important facts about the event. Here, Silas in an attempt to forget his past does not remember the actual name his parents had given him. Silas also feels that he has no real future. Before entering Opus Dei3 he feels he has no purpose in life. He also has problems in falling asleep. He is continuously plagued by nightmares of his past life. The trauma of Silas' past life made him a victim of Personality Disorders in his later life. When he leaves home, and lives on the streets, he starts showing symptoms of Antisocial Personality Disorder under Axis II4 of DSM-IV. (Psy Mental Health Site. "DSM-IVTM Multiaxial System"). Before the age of 18 itself, he pummels a girl who mocks him, and receives an official warning. This becomes the start to a series of murders that he commits in his life, all making him worthy of being arrested. He is arrested at the age of 18 for killing a sailor. These are also signs of being impulsive. The victim of such a disorder rationalizes the pain they inflict on others. In the book, Silas considers the murders that he commits on the Teachers5' orders as "a sacrifice he would have to hold silently in his heart for all eternity" (Brown. Page 80). Before the age of 18 itself, Silas shows evidences of a Conduct Disorder in actions that he considers is "God's work". Silas also shows signs of suffering from Obsessive Compulsive Personality Disorder (OCPD). He has a marked preoccupation with the organization Opus Dei and is ready to do anything for it. He shows excess devotion to the work given by the Teacher and even asks God's forgiveness when he is not able to complete the task satisfactorily. He shows excess devotion to the rules of Opus Dei and is inflexible when it comes to following 'corporal mortification' and wearing the cilice belt. He also insists that others do exactly as he would. When Sister Sandrine6 says that Opus Dei does not follow Jesus' true message, Silas is enraged and kills her. (Brown. Page 146.) "Axis III of DSM-IV is for reporting current medical conditions that are potentially relevant to the understanding or management of the individual's mental disorder." (Hope Allianz Inc. "DSM-IV: Axis III General Medical Conditions). Using this to analyze Silas, it helps in understanding why he suffered mental disorders. Silas had the medical condition of Albinism. This led to the worsening of his psychological condition because he was never accepted in society and so became an antisocial. "Axis IV deals with Psychological and Environmental Problems that may affect the diagnosis, treatment and prognosis of mental disorders. The Psychological and Environmental Problems in this Axis fall into nine categories". (Hope Allianz Inc. "DSM-IV: Axis IV Psychological and Environmental Problems). The problems in Silas' life fall into two categories - problems related to the social environment & educational problems. The social environment in which Silas lived made him feel inferior to others. The Bishop, even though removed this thought from his mind, failed to give him rational thinking. That is why, Silas thought that pain was good and subjected himself to unreasonable torture (Brown. Page 14). Axis V helps the clinician in judging the individual's overall level of functioning and carrying out daily's activities. (Hope Allianz Inc"DSM-IV: Axis V Global Assessment of Functioning"). By this Axis Silas can be assigned a scale of 50-41. Silas has serious symptoms such as the severe obsessional rituals that he performs and he has serious impairment in social functioning. Treatment Since Silas' disorders are psychological in nature, he should be treated with Psychotherapy. One of these therapies would be Behaviour Therapy. Behaviour Therapy would help Silas to undergo refinement and overcome his specific behavioral problems. This therapy believes in reinforcement and imitation to teach normal behaviour and also says that abnormal behaviour is a result of defective learning (Psy Mental Health Site. "DSM-IVTM Multiaxial System").The defective learning in Silas' case is that he has learnt to do God's will by torturing and causing pain to oneself! Stress also needs to be laid to rectify his impulsive behaviour. This therapy should include assertion, behavioral rehearsal, coaching, cognitive restructuring, relaxation methods, self-management and new social skills, in Silas' case. Rational-emotive and Cognitive-behavioral therapy7 stresses the client's ability of thinking on their own and in their ability to change. (Psy Mental Health Site. "DSM-IVTM Multiaxial System"). Silas has never made decisions on his own; except for impulsive behavior. He follows the rules of Opus Dei, because he feels he has a moral obligation to it, for giving him a new life. Silas became a victim to irrational thinking in his childhood when he blamed himself for his mother's death and influenced by society thought that he was inferior. Bishop Aringarosa8 succeeded in eliminating this thought to an extent by making him feel special, but failed to make him understand that religion is just a faith, not a set of rigid rules to be followed. Conclusion: The case study of Silas is actually a direct reflection of the society we live in. It shows how society fails to accept people who are 'different' into it. Therefore, along with Silas people in society and their judgments also need to change. References Dan Brown (2003). "The Da Vinci Code". "DSM-IVTM Multiaxial System." Psy web Mental Health Site. June 14, 2006. "DSM-IV: Axis III General Medical Conditions". April 15, 2006. Hope Allianz Inc.Counseling and Wellness Center. < http://www.hopeallianz.com/Resources/M14.html > "DSM-IV: Axis IV Psychological and Environmental Problems". April 15, 2006. Hope Allianz Inc.Counseling and Wellness Center. < http://www.hopeallianz.com/Resources/M15.html> "DSM-IV: Axis V Global Assessment of Functioning". ". April 15, 2006. 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