Although Dan Brown does not make feminism the main theme of his novels, the women in The Da Vinci Code play a fundamental role in the plot often overlooked by readers. Additionally, Brown argues that the treatment of women in the Catholic Church is not in line with the teachings of Jesus. Brown reiterates historical events from many different time periods and cultures that must be understood to understand the perspective of the women depicted in The Da Vinci Code . The time periods crucial to this understanding are the 1st century, the 3rd-4th century, and the 1960s to the present. Different cultures also play an important role in how women can be represented through literature; major cultures to consider for ancient times include the Jewish community, the Roman Empire, and the Celto-British Isles. In today's society, Brown portrays a vision centered on French and British cultures. Brown discusses how women of all these time periods and cultures are depicted, but this attempt at a microcosm for women must be examined through lenses with respect to each aspect conveyed to determine the validity of The Da Vinci Code's depiction. Throughout The Da Vinci Code, Brown emphasizes the repression of women using examples from history, cultural aspects, and even the interaction between his female and male characters. Dan Brown begins his feminist approach to history by stating, through his character, Sir Leigh Teabing: "Jesus was the first feminist..." From here, Brown claims that Jesus and Mary Magdalene married and that the early Church had the right to her, but Jewish tradition and Paul's jealousy towards Mary prevented this from happening. At this point, from a literary perspective, Brown is demonstrating the oppression of women... at the center of the paper... by the dominant power of the time, the Roman Empire. Therefore, many examples can still be seen in post-Bible writings and rulings that continue to encourage the oppression of women. Such statements created tension with the recorded actions of Jesus, but the Church wanted control so that they would be published and well distributed. Dan Brown illustrates through his novel that women are often oppressed throughout history in Christian and Jewish cultures, however he shows that this oppression still occurs in modern times. In her novel, she uses her female characters to mimic the real-world situation of how women are viewed; the characters Sir Leigh Teabing and Captain Fache are archetypes of Brown's perception of British and French attitudes towards women, respectively. Every man shows contempt for a woman's ability to do “man's work”.”.