The Da Vinci Code Theme of Manipulation

Even though we know there's a guy called the Teacher pulling some of the strings behind the scenes of our story, it's not till the very end that we realize he's a bad guy…and that he's been masquerading as a good guy the entire time.

When Langdon and Sophie discover that Teabing's the Teacher, we realize that his treachery goes even further than we knew, and that he'd been the one plotting everything from the very beginning. His ability to manipulate people comes from years of planning, an intricate knowledge of his subjects, and a deviousness that will stop at nothing.

Questions About Manipulation

  1. How does Teabing's character change once you realize he's the Teacher?
  2. What are the different ways the Teacher gains trust from his victims? How does his methodology work so well?
  3. Would all of this have happened organically eventually, or was Teabing the catalyst?