Summary
NSA (National Security Agency) is an American secret agency. The function is checking all of the information in around the world and spying the information which contain of terrorism and any other dangerous information especially which threaten the security stability of the United States using a very high technology machine named TRANSLTR. NSA hiring smart people who expert in the cryptography field from over the world to be the cryptographer there. Their works is breaking the code and translate them into the easily understandable information because usually the secret dangerous information is made in the complicated language code. One day, there was strange information called Digital Fortress which has been entered in the TRANSLTR. The maximum time for TRANSLTR to read the most complicated information is two hours, but the Digital Fortress has already inside the TRANSLTR for more than twelve hours and TRANSLTR still could not read it. Then Commander Trevor Strathmore, NSA Deputy Director of Operations, called in Susan Fletcher, the NSA's Head Cryptographer, to find out the problem. Then Fletcher discovered that it was written by Ensei Tankado, a former NSA employee who became displeased with the NSA's intrusion into people's private lives. Tankado intends to auction the code on his website and have his partner, "NDAKOTA", release it for free if he dies. Essentially holding the NSA hostage, the agency is determined to stop Digital Fortress from becoming a threat to national security.
Tankado suddenly died in Seville, Spain. His cause of death was allegedly due to a heart attack. Then Strathmore asked David Becker (Fletcher’s fiancé) to go to Seville and find out if there were any clues which brought by Tankado to break the Digital Fortress. Then Becker knew that Tankado wore a ring which there was a writing on it before he died and the ring was gone when Becker check out Tankado’s dead body. Strathmore said that writing was the clue which he searched to breaking the Digital Fortress. Immediately Becker started to find out where the ring was and he must go through in a long journey, difficult struggle, and some dangerous situations to get the ring. The dangerous situations were when all the people who ever owned the ring were killed by an assassin named Hulohot who has sent by someone to search the Tankado’s ring and when Becker finally met Hulohot and then Hulohot tried to kill Becker because he knew if Becker already got the ring.
Meanwhile, in the NSA office, the situation was getting warm. Fletcher was found that NDAKOTA, the Tankado’s partner, is Greg Hale, one of the NSA’s cryptographers. She knew about that when she not deliberately opened Hale’s computer and read his messages. She opened Hale’s computer because she knew if Hale has already thwart her searching process in her computer to find out about NDAKOTA, but Hale said if that messages were copied from the Strathmore’s email. Suddenly Phil Chartrukian, the Sys-Sec (name of the chamber in the NSA office where the cryptographers work in) technician who is unaware of the Digital Fortress code breaking failure and believes Digital Fortress to be a virus, conducts his own investigation into the TRANSLTR whether Strathmore allowed Digital Fortress to bypass Gauntlet (NSA's virus/worm filter). Then he was found murdered in the sub-levels of TRANSLTR. Hale said if he saw Strathmore killed, but Strathmore said if truly Hale was the murder of Chartrukian. Then Hale hostage Fletcher because Strathmore threaten him if he will report him to the police as a murder. Unfortunately, Hale kicked by Strathmore’s gun because he threatens if he will tell all the NSA’s secrets to the public.
Later, Fletcher knew that Strathmore was a person who sent an assassin, Hulohot, to kill the people who owned Tankado’s ring included Becker, her fiancé. Later she also believed that Strathmore was a person who killed Chartrukian because he didn’t want anyone thwart his ambition in breaking the Digital Fortress. Strathmore was very ambitious in breaking the Digital Fortress because he was planning to sell the data to the biggest digital company in Japan. Then TRANSLTR is blown up because of overheating, working too long in reading the Digital Fortress, and Strathmore was burned in with it. Fletcher escape from it because she succeeded ran away with a private lift in Strathmore’s office which brought her to the main office building, few kilometers far away from her office building. Then Jabba, NSA's Senior System Security Officer, told her that Digital Fortress was a virus which eating the data bank of NSA security system gate and if the gate gone, all of the secret information that NSA has can be access by every people in the world who have modem.
Finally Hulohot dead, fell down from the tower when he was in fighting with Becker and Becker can save the ring and telling the writing on the Tankado’s ring to the people who has been waiting him in NSA. Unfortunately, the writing was not the code to breaking the Digital Fortress. Then Becker and Fletcher finally realize if the breaking code was not the ring. The breaking code was the amount of Tankado’s fingers in his each hand which is three, because he held up one of his hand to the top before he died. Finally the Digital Fortress can be destroyed.
1. Character
Actually, this novel has more than fifteen characters, but I only mention eight of them because the rest are just the cameo. The eight characters that I mention are Susan Fletcher (the NSA’s Head Cryptographer), David Becker (a university professor on languages and Fletcher’s fiancé), Commander Trevor Strathmore (NSA Deputy Director of Operations), Ensei Tankado (a disgruntled former NSA employee), Hulohot (an assassin sent to Spain after David Becker), Phil Chartrukian (Sys-Sec Technician), Greg Hale (NSA cryptographer) and Jabba (NSA’s Senior System Security Officer). First character is Susan Fletcher. She is a very smart girl with 170 IQ. Her ingenuity is proved when she successfully got her doctorate in age 28 and became a cryptographer in NSA not long after that. She is also an assertive, independent, and a loyal woman. One of the evidence of her assertiveness is when she obviously refused all of Hale’s flattery to have a dating with him. She is an independent woman because she can live alone without family and earn her own money. Her loyalty is proved with keep all the NSA secrets and didn’t tell to anyone even though to her fiancé. Second character is David Becker. He is a responsible and honest man. His responsibility is proved when he did all what Strathmore asked to him and finished them. His honesty is proved when NSA asked his help to translate a code in Chinese language and then it also asked him to translate the code randomly in order to keep the secrecy of the code, because he is not allowed to know the meaning of the code. He is also not allowed to tell anyone that he ever been work for NSA to translate a secret code. Becker obeyed all the rules and didn’t tell to anyone about what he had done with NSA. Third character is Commander Trevor Strathmore. He is a very ambitious man. He will do anything to get all what he wants. The example of his ambitiousness is when he killed Phil Chartrukian and Greg Hale who rebbel him in order to keep the TRANSLTR running and can keep working to read the Digital Fortress. Fourth character is Ensei Tankado. He is a man who has strong principles and will keep the principles with all efforts that he can do. It proved when he thought that NSA had violated the people’s privacy with its TRANSLTR, and then decided to resign from NSA. Fifth character is Hulohot. He is very mean and cruel assassin, but he is loyal to his boss. He will kill all the people who prevent him to do what has been ordered to him. It proved when he killed all the people who ever owned Tankado’s ring and do as hard as he can to kill Becker and take the ring from him. Sixth character is Phil Chartrukian. He is a very curious and spontaneous man. It proved when he spontaneously went to the sub-levels of TRANSLTR in order to shutdown that machine manually because he knew that Digital Fortress is a virus and it never can be read by TRANSLTR. That machine also can be exploded because of overheating, continuously push to work to read the Digital Fortress. Seventh character is Greg Hale. He is a very talented seducer man, but sissy. He never gives up flattering Fletcher so that she would have a date with him. He is very sissy when he was afraid to be accused as Chartrukian murder and decided to hostage Fletcher. Eighth character is Jabba. He is so careful in doing anything. He will not decide to do something before him sure that he is allowed to do that thing. It proved when he found a problem with TRANSLTR he didn’t go to check out the TRANSLTR directly because Strathmore is not allowed him to check out the machine.
2. Characterization
In this novel the writer, Dan Brown, use indirect way of characterization in describing each character. It means that Brown describes each character through the other characters like through the dialogue, comment, what is done by the character, and the like. One of the ways that Dan Brown has used in describing the characterization of Commander Trevor Strathmore is through what he has done like when he killed Chartrukian with pushed him in the sub-levels, when he finally proved has sent an assassin named Hulohot in Spain to kill David Becker and when he proved masquerade as NDAKOTA. That all show or describe that Strathmore is a very ambitious person. There is no word for failure in his dictionary of life. He will do anything to realize all what he want. He will eliminate all the things that prevent him to get what he wants. One of the ways that Dan Brown has used in describing the characterization of Susan Fletcher is through the dialogue like a piece dialogue in the chapter 11, ‘You are on my team, aren’t you?’ Strathmore asked. Susan smiled. ‘Yes, sir, I am. One hundred percent.’ One of the dialogues between Strathmore and Fletcher that I have typed before shows or describe that Fletcher is a loyal person. She is loyal with his job and also with his boss with obeys what his boss said and ordered to her.
3. Setting
There are three kinds of setting; physical, social, and spiritual. Physical setting is divided in two which are place and time. In this novel the setting of place were in Maryland, United States of America and in Seville, Spain. The setting of time was on a whole day, from the morning until the night. The social setting of the story in this novel is the relationship condition between the characters. Almost all of the characters have not good relationship each other because their relationship has flavored with ambition, selfishness, and suspicion. Otherwise, there were some people who still have good relationship each other like Susan Fletcher with David Becker, Chartrukian with Susan Fletcher, and Jabba with Susan Fletcher. These good relationships are built because of the feeling of love and sense of solidarity among coworkers. So there were a bad and a good relationship condition between the characters in this novel. Actually, this novel has less spiritual setting, but the most obvious spiritual setting is seen when David Becker almost died killed by Hulohot in Spain. In that time, Becker felt that his life will end because he already exhausted and desperate in fighting and ran away from Hulohot. Then he pray to God to be given the last power to fight Hulohot until he gave up tried to kill Becker, save the Tankado’s ring and gave the ring to Strathmore and Susan. Then God answered Becker’s pray. Hulohot died, fall down due to slip from the tower when he tried to kill Becker and grab the Tankado’s ring from him.
4. Point of view
According to me, this novel has an objective point of view. With the objective point of view, the writer tells what happens without stating more than can be inferred from the story's action and dialogue. The writer is unnamed or unidentified, remaining a detached observer. The writer never discloses anything about what the characters think or feel. The writer also does not assume the character's perspective and the writer is not a character in the story. The writer just reports on events and lets the reader supply the meaning.
5. Figurative Language
There are three figurative languages in this novel; hyperbole, irony, and paradox. First figurative language is hyperbole. The characters often used this kind of figurative language to reveal some expression when they find something irrational or when they have to do additional work at the wrong time. The example is in chapter 3 when Susan Fletcher muttering to herself when she repeated the entire procedure at an equally imposing electrified fence to entering the NSA building area. She said in her mind, Come on, guys... I’ve only been through here a million times. Then also in chapter 3 when Strathmore ordered her to come to the office on Saturday morning, a time when she supposed to enjoy her free day, Susan said in her mind, Twenty-six thousand employees and a twelve-billion-dollar budget; you’d think they could make it through the weekend without me. The sentences I’ve only been through here a million times and you’d think they could make it through the weekend without me are hyperbole expression. Second figurative language is irony, like in the chapter 36, 80, and 82. Greg Hale tapped and copied Strathmore’s email and found that Strathmore is NDAKOTA, but when Susan read that email which listed belong to NDAKOTA in the Hale’s computer, she thought that NDAKOTA is Greg Hale. Then when Hale saw that Strathmore pushed Carthrukian in the sub-levels and made him died, Susan thought if Hale was killed Chartrukian because Susan just saw Chartrukian’s dead body and Hale who stood near it. That were irony because Hale is accused of acts that he did not do and Susan didn’t trust to him although he already telling the truth to Susan. Third figurative language is paradox. Paradox can be found when Strathmore fast to his faith if Digital Fortress is really a special tracker system and can be read by TRANSLTR, but the fact proved if Digital Fortress is a virus which eating the security system gate of NSA data bank.
6. Trait
Traits are characteristics which every character have them, and every character usually have different characteristics with others. Trait is divided into four. There are biological trait, physical trait, natural trait, emotional trait, and deliberative trait. Susan Fletcher; the biological trait is a woman, the physical traits are slim and tall, the natural traits are assertive, independent, and loyal, the emotional trait is suspicious, and the deliberative trait is good listener. Fletcher’s natural, emotional, and deliberative traits are proved when she refuse a dating invitation from Hale, become the head of NSA’s cryptographer, obeyed all what his boss ordered to her, accusing Hale as NDAKOTA and Chartrukian murder and didn’t want to trust all the Hale’s explanation, and always listening the Becker’s stories about his life when they have the time to get together. David Becker; the biological trait is a man, the physical traits are slim and athletic, the natural traits are responsible and honest, the emotional trait is low-temper, and the deliberative trait is good listener. Becker’s natural, emotional, and deliberative traits are proved when he did all what Strathmore have asked to him with went to Spain to search the clues to break the Digital Fortress, didn’t kill Hulohot although several times he tried to kill Becker, and always listening other people’s suggestions. Commander Trevor Strathmore; the biological trait is a man, the physical traits are quite big and tall, the natural traits are ambitious, the emotional trait is low temper, and the deliberative trait is good counselor. Strathmore’s natural, emotional, and deliberative traits are proved when he really ambitious to keep the TRANSLTR working in more than twelve hours although he knew that will cause dangerous impact, always keep his emotion stable and calm, and always gives advices and examples about how to be good leader to his subordinates. Ensei Tankado; the biological trait is a man, the physical traits are short and just have three fingers in each hand, the natural traits is idealist, and the emotional trait is high-temper. Tankado’s natural and emotional traits are proved when he decided to resign from NSA because he thought NSA project which is tap all of the communication systems in around the world is violate the human right and immediately made the Digital Fortress program to ruin the TRANSLTR machine. Hulohot; the biological trait is a man, the physical traits are slim and quite tall, the natural traits are mean and cruel, and the emotional trait is high-temper. Hulohot’s natural and emotional traits are proved when he killed some innocent people who ever own Tankado’s ring, tried to kill Becker but failed, instead killed by his own fault. Phil Chartrukian; the biological trait is a man, the natural traits are curious and spontaneous, the emotional trait is impatient, and the deliberative trait is communicative. Chartrukian’s natural, emotional, and deliberative traits are proved when he bravely went to the sub-levels of TRANSLTR to shutdown that machine manually without Strathmore’s permission. He already asked Strathmore’s permission to shutdown that machine, but Strathmore has refused it. Greg Hale; the biological trait is a man, the physical traits are athletic and gallant, the natural traits are great seducer but sissy, the emotional trait is impatient, and the deliberative trait is communicative. Hale’s natural, emotional, and deliberative traits are proved when he always attracting Susan’s attention, and made Susan as a hostage because he was accused as NDAKOTA and Chartrukian’s murder and threatened to be in prison. Jabba; the biological trait is a man, the physical traits are short and fat, the natural traits is careful, the emotional trait is patient, and the deliberative trait is wise. Jabba’s natural, emotional, and deliberative traits are proved when he always careful in doing his job, didn’t want to broke the rules which were exist in NSA, and commit with his responsible as the senior system security officer in NSA.
7. Plot
NSA (National Security Agency), an U.S secret agency which function is tapping all of the communication systems in the world in order to keep the security stability especially in the U.S. Susan Fletcher, the Head of NSA’s Cryptographer, has ordered by Strathmore, NSA Deputy Director of Operations, to find out Ensei Tankado, an ex. NSA cryptographer who sent a dangerous system code named Digital Fortress to the TRANSLTR (a machine which functions read and filter the information from around the world) in order to realize his dream about the people’s privacy right. Later Digital Fortress is known as a virus which can destroy the defense system of NSA data banks, but Strathmore didn’t trust if that was a virus. He keeps the TRANSLTR running to read Digital Fortress in more than twelve hours. He also sent a languages professor, David Becker, and an assassin, Hulohot, to Spain to search Tankado and the clues to breaking the Digital Fortress. The clue was found. That was Tankado’s ring, which had move to some people but then Becker can get it. Hulohot killed the people who ever owned the ring and also tried to kill Becker because he also wanted to get the ring. Accidentally Hulohot died. TRANSLTR is exploded because of overheating, and Strathmore also burned together with that most valuable machine. Finally Becker, Susan, and Jabba (NSA’s Senior System Security Officer) found that the password to destroy Digital Fortress is not in there ring. The real password is the amount of Tankado’s fingers in his each hand. Fortunately they can destroy the Digital Fortress and save the NSA data bank.
8. Atmosphere
According to me, the atmosphere of the story in this novel is suspense because the story line is pleasurable excited and it can make the reader always be anticipated regarding to the outcome of the story which is the ending. The story is unpredictable and makes the reader surprise when the prediction is missed from what this novel gives. The most unpredictable story is the fact that Digital Fortress is a virus.
9. Theme
According to me, the theme of the story is national security versus a right of individual’s privacy. In this story, a country has tapping all of the communication system in the world with a reason to protect or keep its national stability from any dangerous disturbances. That thing is obviously has already violated the human’s right which is a right of individual’s privacy, because every people in this world have a right to get their privacy and it is not allowed to share with another people.
(Saturday, July 3rd, 2010)
