Keoni Brown

Professor Falloon

Engwr 108

May 19, 2023

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

In Stieg Larsson’s The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, there is a common theme that is

prevalent throughout the story that allows the reader to understand life from a new perspective,

built from suffering and trauma. This theme symbolizes the cruelty of the world and the

depressing reality that exists for these characters. Its existence is not limited to these pages by

Larsson either. Besides progressing the story and the personalities of the novel’s characters, it is

a problem that exists in the real world. A dilemma that Larsson hopes to shed light on as it

torments the lives of people in and outside of the page. The themes presented in the book by

Larsson are significant as it provides a lesson to be learned. He creates this message to describe

the failures and shortcomings of modern society by focusing on the violence and heinousness

women endure and the abuse and corruption of power that plagues today’s hierarchies.

Although the novel is based around a mystery, its underlying themes of violence against

women can be found throughout. An example of this can be seen when focusing on the brutality

that protagonist Lisbeth Salander endures. The novel develops on this idea by describing

Salander’s experience with Nils Bjurman and his unwanted sexual advancements towards her.

Bjurman preys on Salander, exploiting the dynamic of power and authority he has over her as he

rapes her, saying “If you be nice to me, I’ll be nice to you” as though he was mocking her

inability to fight back. The quote conveys how violence, and specifically violence against
women, is significant throughout the story and the development of Salander’s character. It shows

why Salander’s character and traits are the way they are. Her fragility and sensitivity derive from

these traumatic experiences shape her character throughout the novel. Bjurman knows the

dynamic of power that exists between them, and he uses it to his benefit to allow him to take

advantage of Salander, believing he is above the confines of the law beset on men lesser than

him. The law has only been something of failure within the novel however, representing the

shortcomings of the government as it fails to protect the unprotected. Another example of abuse

of power comes from chapter 18 of the novel, as Larsson writes about the dynamic of power

between the two characters of Mikael Blomkvist and Lisbeth Salander. Larsson explains the

abuse of power that Blomkvist exerts onto Salander by describing the nervousness and fear that

she feels when in his presence. Larsson describes this fear as a “panic [that] races through her

body” (Larsson 275). This anxiousness Salander feels when confronted by Blomkvist exhibits

this exploitation of power. Blomkvist has such a hold onto Salander’s own mind and emotions

simply because of how he enacts his power over those around him. The abuse of power persists

across various domains of society. It occurs when individuals or institutions exploit their

positions of authority and influence for personal gain, control, or to oppress others. Blomkvist

knows that his presence is enough to evoke fear into Salander without repercussions. Larsson

writes and describes these situations to emphasize the reality for many women, attempting to

bring awareness towards something so common. Using these examples allows Larsson to

represent this theme of hatred towards women in the story. The theme of violence and

exploitation towards women within the novel is an idea that exists further than just the brutality

and corruption that it entails. It forces the reader to understand that a broken system like this

exists and cannot and will never change, forever unbeknownst to the rest of the world.
 The corruption and misuse of power exhibited throughout the novel showcases exactly

how common it occurs in the modern world, and specifically in the society that Larsson created.

The story tackles this idea of exploitation of power to progress the story and emphasize its theme

to the readers. An example of this abuse of power can be found when Larsson describes

Salander’s resentment and distrust of the law, and subsequently how it has desensitized her from

the cruel reality. Larsson expressed how Salander was not like most, having a “rudimentary”

perception of society because of her history. Larsson continues by stating “she was so abnormal

that even rape could evoke no adequate emotional response” (Larsson 179). The failures of the

police and government has resulted in Salander and her diminishing emotional or psychological

sensitivity towards the inhumanity and barbarism that she and the rest of Sweden is surrounded

by. The constant exposure can lead to a desensitization effect, causing her to gradually become

less affected or shocked by her reality, even in its extremity. It has forever affected Salander and

her perception of society’s figures of authority and their exertion of power. The normalization of

topics such as rape serves as a direct result of this exploitation of power. An act of violence

against women can be seen between Mikael Blomkvist and Erika Berger when regarding Cecilia

Vanger. Larsson writes about their conversation, as Blomkvist describes Cecilia as “Miss Big

Tits” when discussing their sexual history (Larsson 226). Although the quote is small, the choice

of words and diction serves as an insight into Blomkvist’s personality, and subsequently his

perception of women and those below him. He views women as a means to an end, as a way to

fulfill his sexual desires and nothing more. Blomkvist exerts the power he has over women,

disregarding their dignity and basic human rights. Reducing women to mere objects for sexual

gratification perpetuates harmful gender stereotypes, and reinforces the imbalance of power

between abusers and their victims. By writing about characters with these qualities and
perspectives and opinions of women, Larsson provides awareness to the abhorrent sexism that

plagues modern society.

Stieg Larsson further perpetuates the theme of violence and heinousness later in the story,

focusing on how the abuse of power can directly lead to acts of violence, feeding into it like

obsession. Larsson elaborates on this obsession as he writes about Martin Vanger and his history

of rape and murder. Vanger tells Blomkvist about his first victim, stating how Blomkvist knew

nothing of the “godlike feeling of having absolute control” over someone as their life rests at his

mercy (Larsson 364). This example exhibits just how Vanger perceives his own actions. Vanger

attributes his lust for killing to his father, claiming it as just another passion passed on from

generation to generation. He speaks about it with such a prideful demeanor, as if it was his god

given right to exact his strength on those he deemed helpless, similarly to a rite of passage.

Vanger even believes that the sensation is something that an “ordinary” man like Mikael could

not understand. Larsson further describes this obsession with violence that Vanger has when he

attempts to validate his crimes. Vanger expresses that his crimes are only deemed unacceptable

due to the “conventions of society”, believing that “killing is a natural consequence” (Larsson

364). The hierarchy of power that is present in modern society is what enables Vanger to have

this twisted perception of dominance towards those he believes is below him and his social

status. His perception is what directly feeds into his greed for power and internal misogyny.

These cases serve as vessels for Larsson to push this narrative of the exploitation of power and

its correlation to the discrimination of women in today’s world.

The essay explores the prevalent theme of suffering and trauma in Stieg Larsson's novel,

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. Larsson sheds light on the cruel reality and violence against

women that exists not only in the story but also in the real world. He emphasizes the failures of
modern society, including the abuse and corruption of power particularly in relation to women.

Through examples of violence and exploitation, such as the experiences of the novel’s characters

Lisbeth Salander and Mikael Blomkvist, Larsson highlights the societal shortcomings and the

fear and desensitization that result from the misuse of power. The normalization of topics like

rape and the obsession with violence further demonstrate the consequences of power imbalances

and its effect on the psyche of an individual. Larsson aims to create awareness of these issues

and the urgent need for change in society.