Abstract:
This thesis explores the functions of narrative and symbolism in Dan Brown's book The Lost Symbol and its 2021 television adaptation, focusing on the ways in which symbols shift between the two mediums. My research argues that the distinctive symbolism of The Lost Symbol not only facilitates the development of the story, but also becomes the expression of the ideational worldview. The study uses Dudley Andrew’s adaptation theory, notably the borrowing, intersection, and transformation approaches, to explore how the cinematic adaptation of the text maintains the symbolic structure of the novel, and how the adaptation highlights the function of symbols in the text. Additionally, semiotics theory of Roland Barthes is also used to identify the function and significance of symbols in The Lost Symbol and to explore how symbols become modern myths that are connected to surveillance, power and search for knowledge. This study shows how cinematic techniques transform and amplify literary symbolism in adaptation, revealing a sophisticated interplay between textual fidelity and visual innovation.
Through careful analysis of cinematographic elements, including lighting, sound, music, and shot composition, the adaptation elevates the source material's symbolic framework beyond mere literal translation. Rather than simply preserving character-based symbols, the adaptation's visual grammar creates additional layers of meaning that add depth to the narrative. My research argues that the adaptation's achievement is particularly significant as it challenges the traditional binary of fidelity versus creativity in adaptation theory which stress the differences in borrowing some elements from the source text and translating them with help of the language means of the new medium and also demonstrates how symbols within the visual medium take ideological, cultural, and mythological significance within the narrative. My suggested approach goes beyond the conventional "faithful-versus-free" debate in adaptation studies, suggesting instead a more nuanced model of adaptive transformation. In this way, this research contributes to adaptation and semiotics studies by revealing how the analysis of visual media can not only replicate but enrich literary symbols with cinematographic techniques and also how symbols in adapted works contain multiple layers of cultural and ideological significance. The findings demonstrate that successful adaptations need not choose between authenticity and contemporary relevance, rather, they can achieve both through thoughtful translation of symbolic elements into visual language
