Klassen !

Benjamin Klassen

Mrs. K Nealson

ENG 2D

25 May 2016

To Hire or Not to Hire: Robert Langdon

Dan Brown’s novel Inferno is an exciting, fast-paced read that keeps the reader on its

toes. Robert Langdon is a significant character throughout the novel. Being the protagonist, the

reader experiences his emotions and needs first hand. Throughout the novel’s tortuous plot,

Langdon proves to be very helpful. An examination of his intellect, background in Italian art, and

leadership skills prove that Langdon is the best man for the job.

To start, Langdon’s intellect makes him suitable for his position. He never puts all of his

eggs in one basket, as he often has a backup plan. This is very helpful when he and Sienna are

trapped in the Boboli Gardens. Being completely surrounded, Langdon and Sienna narrowly

escape by hiding in a cave and exiting through the Vasari Corridor. They would have surely been

captured without this backup plan. Langdon also uses his brainpower through his eidetic

memory. When he is at St. Marks Cathedral, Langdon desperately looks for a treacherous doge.

Ettore is willing to help them, but Langdon has to use his clues to figure out what the doge’s

name is. When Robert is finding the solution, it is said in the novel that, “Because his eidetic

memory was better suited to images rather than uncontextualized ideas, [his] revelation had

arrived in the form of a piece of artwork” (Brown 327). This shows that Langdon’s incredible

recollection plays an important role in unravelling the plot. Lastly, Langdon is very quick to find

answers. When Langdon works on analyzing Botticelli’s Map of Hell, it is said that, “Dr. Sinskey
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imagined he might end up studying the image for hours with no breakthrough… barely ten

minutes had passed when [he] set down his pencil and announced, ‘Cerca trova’” (Brown 270).

This speed plays a huge role in the novel, as there is a very tight timeline with a lot at stake.

Further examination will show that it is not just Langdon’s intellect that makes him the right man

for the job.

Next, Langdon’s leadership skills were essential for his position. One of Langdon’s skills

is persuasion. This proves important at the Hagia Sophia as Langdon and Dr. Sinskey need to

quickly locate Dandolo’s tomb. Somehow Langdon manages to persuade Mirsat, who is the

museum expert, to take them on an after-hours tour and to let them privately examine Dandolo’s

tomb. This persuasion was imperative to finding Dandolo’s tomb, as they would have had to wait

until the following day otherwise. Langdon is also very humble. While show-offs tend to not

consider the ideas of others, Langdon did not think of himself as higher than Sienna. He always

discusses the best course of action with Sienna, even when he knows the right thing to do. This is

very important because Sienna’s input is significant throughout the novel. Langdon’s humility

could not have been displayed better than by Marta, who brings to light that Langdon is well

known for his academic humility when she tours Langdon and Sienna at the Palazzo Vecchio.

Lastly, Langdon is well-connected. His connections allow him to enter museums that he may not

have been able to enter otherwise. This is specifically shown when Langdon and Ignazio enter

the Palazzo Vecchio to see Dante’s death mask. When Marta tours them, it says in the novel that,

“Langdon’s reputation would have sufficed last night to persuade Marta to open the gallery for

him, but the fact that he had been accompanied by il Duomino meant that she really had no

choice” (Brown 165). Without Langdon’s connection to Ignazio, he may not have been allowed
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to enter the museum. This demonstrates how Langdon’s connections became an asset to their

mission. While Langdon’s leadership skills are very important throughout the novel, Langdon’s

art background also made him well suited for his position.

Finally, Langdon’s strong background in art plays a huge role in deciphering cryptograms

and evading pursuers. As a renowned art history professor at Harvard, Langdon is very

knowledgable in this area. Using his knowledge of the original Map of Hell, Langdon discovers

that ‘catrovacer’ is really the Italian term cerca trova. He then remembers that cerca trova is

written in Vasari’s mural The Battle of Anghiara, and he leads Sienna there. Langdon is also very

familiar with Dante’s Inferno. This proves useful when Sienna and Langdon discover seven Ps

on the back of Dante’s death mask. Sienna did not understand it, but Langdon knew that it meant

the seven deadly sins. Lastly, Langdon’s knowledge of the Palazzo Vecchio’s secret-passageways

is put to the test when he is being pursued in the Vasari Corridor. During the chase, it is said that,

“He simply reached out, grabbed the map’s massive wooden frame, and heaved it toward him.

The entire map swung into the room… revealing a hidden passageway” (Brown 193). It is

crucial that Langdon and Sienna took these passageways because of the tight pursuit they were

under. Without these innovative methods of remaining hidden, they would have surely been

caught. Clearly, because of his broad knowledge of art, Langdon is the best man for the job.

Langdon’s intellect, leadership, and background in art clearly prove that he is the best

man for the job. In Dan Brown’s Inferno, Langdon deciphers clues, enters closed museums, and

analyzes paintings that serve as clues. All of these things were crucial to the goal of finding

Zobrist’s virus. Without Langdon’s skill set, the novel wouldn’t have had the same fast-paced

flair as it did. Langdon’s passion for art adds another dimension to his character. Likewise,
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people’s passions define them. People need to embrace, develop, and nurture their passions so

that like Langdon, their passions can be evident in their lives.

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Works Cited
Brown, Dan. Inferno. United States: Anchor Books, 6 May 2014. Print.