Freemasonry’s Symbols in Dan Brown’s The Lost Symbol

Abstract

Abstrak
Karya tulis ini membahas Freemasonry, Simbol-simbolnya, dan keberadaan simbol-simbol Freemasonri di gedunggedung
bersejarah Washington DC seperti yang diungkap pada novel ini. Pembahasan ini fokus pada dua masalah
utama, (1) Bagaimana simbol-simbol Freemasonry digambarkan pada novel ini, dan (2) apa hubungan antara simbolsimbol
Freemasonry dan gedung-gedung bersejarah seperti yang digambarkan dalam novel. Simbol-simbol Freemasonri
pada novel Dan Brown The Lost Symbol sangat menarik dianalisa dengan menggunakan pendekatan semiotik. Arti
semiotic adalah teori umum mengenai tanda-tanda dan simbol-simbol. Semiotik lebih memperhatikan makna pesan dan
cara pesan disampaikan melalui tanda-tanda dan simbol-simbol. Terdapat lima simbol utama yang ditunjukkan penulis
untuk pembaca. Melalui simbol-simbol tersebut mereka akan mengetahui pemikiran penulis bagaimana dia memandang
dunia dan bagaimana dia berpikir mengenai tindakan dan objek-objek umum. Brown menggunakan The Chamber of
Reflection, The hand of Mysteries , The Double-headed Eagle, The Masonic Ring , dan The Masonic Pyramid untuk
menceritakan tentang Freemasonri. Simbol-simbol tersebut menggambarkan identitas Freemasonri sehingga pembaca
dapat mengerti dengan jelas apa dan bagaimana Freemasonri itu. Freemasonri mempunyai banyak rahasia-rahasia yang
tersimpan pada simbol-simbol yang diciptakannya. Selanjutnya simbol-simbol tersebut juga muncul di arsitektur
gedung-gedung bersejarah Washington DC misalnya The House of Temple, The US Capitol Building, dan George
Washington Masonic Memorial. Di novel ini, Brown membangkitkan rasa ingin tahu pembaca dengan menciptakan
misteri-misteri di balik simbol-simbol tersebut. Dia selalu memberikan dorongan dan pengetahuan baru sehingga
pembaca akan membaca novelnya hingga akhir. Mereka akan mempunyai kesan mendalam tentang novel yang mereka
baca.
Kata Kunci : Simbol-simbol,Freemasonri, Gedung-gedung bersejarah.
Abstract
This paper deals with Freemasonry, its symbols, and the existence of Freemasonry’s symbols in Washington DC
historical buildings as revealed in the novel. Thus this study focuses on two major problems, (1) How is Freemasonry’s
symbols described in the novel, and (2) What is the relationship between Freemasonry’s symbols and historical
buildings in Washington DC as reflected in the novel. Freemasonry’s symbols Dan Brown’s The Lost Symbol is very
interesting to be analyze d by using semiotic approach. This approach is defined as a general theory of signs and
symbols . It more concerns to the meaning of the message and how the message is delivered to signs and symbols.There
are five main symbols which the writer shows to the readers. Through the symbols they will know the writer’s mind on
how he views the world and how he thinks of common objects and actions. Brown takes The Chamber of Reflection,
The hand of Mysteries , The Double-headed Eagle, The Masonic Ring , and The Masonic Pyramid to tell about
Freemasonry. Those symbols represent Freemasonry’s identity. The readers can gain clearly the ideas of what and how
Freemasonry is. It has a lot of secrets in the symbols which it creates. Furthermore those Freemasonry’s symbols appear
in the architecture of historical buildings in Washington DC such as The House of Temple, The US Capitol Building,
and George Washington Masonic Memorial. In this novel, Brown evokes the readers curiosity by creating mysteries
behind the symbols. He always gives impulse and new knowledge, so that the readers will read the novel till the end.
They have certain impression about the novel which they read.
Keywords : Symbols, Freemasonry, Historical Buildings