“The Lost Symbol” is one of the many works of world-renowned author Dan Brown. Just like his novel, The Da Vinci Code, any reader will experience a lot of thrills with this other masterpiece from the writer. “The Lost Symbol” is filled with a maze of codes, hidden truths, and secrets that every reader would want to know. Here is a gist of the entire novel.
The title “The Lost Symbol” does not really refer to a lost symbol but to a lost word. The story takes place in Washington, D.C., for 12 hours and mainly concentrates on Freemasonry. Robert Langdon, the lead character, is scheduled to hold a lecture and hand over a package to Peter Solomon, his mentor in the United States Capitol. Instead of giving out a lecture, Langdon was startled to see Solomon’s right hand mounted on a stick that was situated in the middle of that particular room. He believes that it’s the Hand of Mysteries.
It is evident that the kidnapper desires Langdon’s help in searching for Mason’s Pyramid and Mason’s word, which puzzles the kidnapper. As Langdon analyzes the tattoos on each finger of the hand, it leads him to proceed to the capitol’s sub-basement, where Peter Solomon’s Masonic Altar was located. There, he finds symbolic items together with what looks like a small pyramid. These gave Langdon clues to go further and complete his task.
The kidnapper, Zachary Solomon alias Mal’akh, Peter’s son, longs to have the ancient power source in his hand. He wants Langdon to unlock the antediluvian mysteries that will lead him to save his friend Peter. Langdon, locked up inside the tank by Mal’akh at that time, was rescued by the CIA.
Zachary Solomon supposes that it is his fate to lead the forces of evil. He asks his father to make him the sacrifice. Zachary urges the word or the lost symbol out of his father and places it like a tattoo over his head. As the police broke in through the glass panel, Zachary was hit with shuttered glass, which left him dead.
Peter escorts Langdon the way to the world. Blindfolded, they have managed to go through barriers and into a chamber. When Langdon takes off his blindfold, he suddenly sees a stairway that seems to have no end. With his eyes wide open, he found the Capitol at the bottom part of the stairs. He realized that he is inside a room located on top of the Monument.
Peter tells Langdon that the symbol or the word is found on the pyramid stone on the Washington Monument, which is hidden in the building’s corner. Langdon recognizes the symbols used; it spells Laus Deo that literally means to “Praise God”. Solomon narrated to Langdon that the symbol that is found underground is indeed a Bible copy. This fully explains that a man is always a part of God, but the word has many interpretations, and the majority searches for it, but the enlightened people know what it is.
“The Lost Symbol” is a story that reflects messages similar to Dan Brown’s other novels. It is the usual lightning-paced story with a bit of a twist at every turn. It also used a variety of symbols, including the double-headed eagle that symbolizes the unity of the East and the West and the red seal on its cover that represents the Scottish Rite Masonry. Furthermore, Transneptunians, otherwise known as hypothetical planets, can also be found in the book. This is where we can find the names of Greek gods Zeus, Hades, and Vulcanus. But no matter how many symbols we see in this book, we can’t help but wonder about the real message of “The Lost Symbol.”
It is all about good triumphing over evil. It is not one way of weakening the faith of those who strongly believe in God. As the Rev. Ed Bacon says in his review of the book, “Our faith must be durable, or it cannot help us when storms arise”. Therefore, “The Lost Symbol” should be taken as an inspiration to a renewed faith in God.