Analysis of Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
Megan Buxton
Professor Stockton
Communications 297
11 May 2012
The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo
In Stieg Larsson 's novel, The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo, his first novel in the Millennium series, and a number one national best seller, danger and suspense lurk around every corner as Larsson portrays a dark and mysterious crime thriller that differs from most. Mikael Blomkvist, a recently discredited journalist, is enlisted to the aid of Henrik Vanger, an influential business mogul, to find his long missing niece. Through the investigation Blomkvist works with the enigmatic Lisbeth Salander, ward of the state and expert computer hacker with a damaged past, present, and future, to uncover the truth. While the main plot of Larsson 's first installment is the mystery surrounding Vanger 's family, his novel and series has a bigger message to it. Stieg Larsson 's character perceptions challenge traditional Western gender roles and shatter the disillusionment of a traditional female heroine. Larsson 's unique novel shows a twisted look into the world of sexual abuse and molestation towards women on the streets of Sweden, and emphasizes on the role of women in his work. The separate cinematic adaptations, the original Swedish version directed by Swedish Niels Arden Oplev and the American version directed by David Fincher, stays true to Larsson 's illustration of Lisbeth Salander while highlighting the struggles of female abuse.
Traditional Western cinema has cast gorgeous, stunning women to play their damsel in distress or leading romantic interest. Many women in cinema are merely eye candy for the viewers. When we think of a traditional femme fatale the likes of Ursula Andress or Sophie Marceau come to mind. This is not the case in The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2009). Lisbeth Salander is different by many standards as a traditional female heroine. In the novel she is described quite unlike most females:
Armansky 's star researcher was a pale, anorexic young
Professor Stockton
Communications 297
11 May 2012
The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo
In Stieg Larsson 's novel, The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo, his first novel in the Millennium series, and a number one national best seller, danger and suspense lurk around every corner as Larsson portrays a dark and mysterious crime thriller that differs from most. Mikael Blomkvist, a recently discredited journalist, is enlisted to the aid of Henrik Vanger, an influential business mogul, to find his long missing niece. Through the investigation Blomkvist works with the enigmatic Lisbeth Salander, ward of the state and expert computer hacker with a damaged past, present, and future, to uncover the truth. While the main plot of Larsson 's first installment is the mystery surrounding Vanger 's family, his novel and series has a bigger message to it. Stieg Larsson 's character perceptions challenge traditional Western gender roles and shatter the disillusionment of a traditional female heroine. Larsson 's unique novel shows a twisted look into the world of sexual abuse and molestation towards women on the streets of Sweden, and emphasizes on the role of women in his work. The separate cinematic adaptations, the original Swedish version directed by Swedish Niels Arden Oplev and the American version directed by David Fincher, stays true to Larsson 's illustration of Lisbeth Salander while highlighting the struggles of female abuse.
Traditional Western cinema has cast gorgeous, stunning women to play their damsel in distress or leading romantic interest. Many women in cinema are merely eye candy for the viewers. When we think of a traditional femme fatale the likes of Ursula Andress or Sophie Marceau come to mind. This is not the case in The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2009). Lisbeth Salander is different by many standards as a traditional female heroine. In the novel she is described quite unlike most females:
Armansky 's star researcher was a pale, anorexic young
Cited: Devereaux, Mary. "Oppressive Texts, Resisting Readers And The Gendered Spectator: The New Aesthetics." Journal Of Aesthetics & Art Criticism 48.4 (1990): 337-347. Academic Search Premier. Web. 9 May 2012. Larsson, Stieg. The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo. New York: Vintage Books, 2008. Print. Stenport, Anna Westerståhl, and Cecilia Ovesdotter Alm. "Corporations, Crime, And Gender Construction In Stieg Larsson 's The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo." Scandinavian Studies 81.2 (2009): 157-178. Academic Search Premier. Web. 9 May 2012. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. Dir. Neils Arden Oplev. Perf. Michael Nyqvist, Noomi Rapace, Ewa Froling. Yellow Bird, 2009. DVD. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. Dir. David Fincher. Perf. Daniel Craig, Rooney Mara, Christopher Plummer. Columbia Pictures, 2009. DVD.