The Girl Who Played With Fire

“Salander had crushed him. He was never going to forget it. She had taken command and humiliated him. She had abused him in a way that had left indelible marks on his body. On an area the size of a book below his navel. She had handcuffed him to his bed, abused him, and tattooed him with I AM A SADISTIC PIG, A PERVERT, AND A RAPIST. Stockholm’s district court had declared Salander legally incompetent. He had been assigned to be her guardian, which made her inescapably dependent on him.”

To reframe Lisbeth as a villain, the abusive Bjurman must engage in some psychological sleight of hand to transform himself from the perpetrator of sexual assault into the target of unjustified violence. The final lines of this passage, which acknowledge the position of power that Bjurman held over Lisbeth, suggest that Lisbeth taking “command” over Bjurman subverts the expected relationship between the two. To Bjurman, sexually assaulting Lisbeth was his “right,” and he sees her retaliation as inappropriate.

“She hesitated. All her life she had had to choose the cheapest option, and she was not yet used to the idea that she had more than three billion kronor, which she had stolen by means of an Internet coup combined with good old-fashioned fraud. After a few moments of getting cold and wet, she said to hell with the rule book and waved for a taxi. She gave the driver her address on Lundagatan and fell asleep in the backseat.”

The opening of the novel (and Lisbeth’s return to Sweden) shows the stark contrast between Lisbeth’s previous life and her newfound wealth. In the past, she could not afford to call a taxi and rest on her way home. This more privileged mode of transportation contrasts with an earlier moment in the series, in which Lisbeth fights off an aggressive man in the subway. Given that the taxi is much less of a risk, Larsson shows that Lisbeth’s newfound affluence is buying her a measure of safety.

“We have a government that introduced a tough sex-trade law, we have police who are supposed to see to it that the law is obeyed, and we have courts that are supposed to convict sex criminals—we call the johns sex criminals since it has become a crime to buy sexual services—and we have the media, which write indignant articles about the subject, et cetera. At the same time, Sweden is one of the countries that imports the most prostitutes per capita from Russia and the Baltics.”

Dag’s outline of the Swedish government and legal system emphasizes that every group in society ostensibly opposes sex trafficking. However, Dag’s research suggests that members of these groups either are complicit in the sex trade or participate outright. This hidden dynamic renders their posturing for justice into simple vanity. Critically, the media is listed as complicit as well, setting Millennium apart from regular news organizations.

“Her trespassing in his computer was not malicious: she just wanted to know what the company was working on, to see the lay of the land. She clicked and a folder immediately opened with a new icon called ArmanskyHD. She tried out whether she could access the hard drive and checked that all the files were in place. She read through Armansky’s reports, financial statements, and email until 7:00 a.m. Finally she crawled into bed and slept until 12:30 in the afternoon.”

Lisbeth’s use of Asphyxia 1.3 to spy on Armansky highlights how little she feels she can trust the people in her life. Additionally, her use of computers to spy on those closest to her betrays her need for control and her fear of rejection. She needs to know everything that Armansky knows so that she can spot betrayal in advance, and she fears that asking Armansky for information directly will alienate him from her. Ironically, in refusing to trust her friends, she engages in actions that would give them good reason not to trust her.

“Besides, it was hard not to open her heart to a kid she had babysat all of forty years ago. She had had sex with three men in her life. First her father and then her brother. She had killed her father and run away from her brother. Somehow she had survived and met a man with whom she had created a new life for herself. ‘He was tender and loving. Dependable and honest. I was happy with him. We had a wonderful twenty years together before he became ill.’”

In the novel, Harriet Vanger’s story is gradually unraveled, and this passage reviews that information and adds deeper nuance to the woman with whom Blomkvist is having an affair. The critical information in this passage shows Harriet’s emphasis on her husband’s positive traits. Specifically, Larsson creates a connection between Harriet’s husband and Blomkvist, given that both men display genuine care for the women in their lives.

“He gave up. She was up to some mischief that she did not want to talk about. He was quite sure he would have severe reservations, but he trusted her enough still to know that whatever she was up to might be dubious in the eyes of the law but not a crime against God’s laws. Unlike most other people who knew her, Palmgren was sure that Salander was a genuinely moral person. The problem was that her notion of morality did not always coincide with that of the justice system.”

Palmgren misjudges Lisbeth’s friends when he believes that most others do not think she is a “moral person.” This same sentiment is repeated by Mimmi, Blomkvist, Paolo Roberto, and Armansky, showing that people who do “know” Lisbeth understand her unique outlook on morals and laws. Palmgren does not confront Lisbeth because he knows that she will pursue her own justice, and, like Lisbeth’s other friends, he accepts her for who she is.

“She slipped into his bedroom. The lamp stood in the window. What’s wrong, Bjurman? A little scared of the dark? She stood next to his bed and watched him for several minutes. He had aged and seemed unkempt. The room smelled of a man who was not taking good care of his hygiene. She did not feel a grain of sympathy. For a second a hint of merciless hatred flashed in her eyes.”

Lisbeth’s emotions change rapidly, and her indifference to Bjurman is undermined by her decision to watch him sleep and judge his hygiene, both of which reflect a traumatized person coping with confronting their abuser. The moment of “merciless hatred” betrays Lisbeth’s pain and trauma, which bleeds through her mask of indifference before she suppresses it again.

“Putting a woman—a feminist no less—in charge of one of Sweden’s most conservative and male-dominated institutions was a provocative and bold idea. Everyone was agreed. Well, almost everyone. The ones who counted were all on his side. ‘But I don’t share the basic political views of the newspaper.’ ‘Who cares? You’re not an outspoken opponent either. You’re going to be the boss—not an apparatchik—and the editorial page will take care of itself.’”

The juxtaposition of the “provocative and bold idea” to put a feminist in charge of Svenska Morgon-Posten and Berger’s objection over a difference in beliefs put a sinister frame around the job offer. Svenska Morgon-Posten does not want Berger because of her talents or insights; they want to create the appearance of modernity and relatability for a younger demographic. The company realizes that people are turning to left-leaning media like Millennium, so poaching Berger is another way to keep the business afloat, not a genuine interest in truth or justice.

“‘He’s a celebrity journalist,’ Modig said. ‘So this is going to turn into a media circus,’ Bublanski said. ‘All the more reason to wrap it up as fast as we can. OK…Jerker, you’ll deal with the crime scene, of course, and the neighbours. Faste, you and Curt investigate the victims. Who were they, what were they working on, who was in their circle of friends, who might have had a motive to kill them? Sonja, you and I will go over the witness statements from that night.’”

Just as Bublanski issues orders following the outline of a genuine and in-depth investigation, he subverts his own position by noting that they need to “wrap it up” quickly, which implies the desire to find anyone to blame for the murders. As the investigation progresses, Bublanski slowly learns that true investigative work deserves greater consideration and effort.

“They had a passport photograph of Salander taped above the car radio. Faste muttered out loud that she looked like a bitch. ‘Shit, the whores are looking worse all the time. You’d have to be pretty desperate to pick her up.’ Andersson kept his mouth shut.”

Faste’s blatant sexism contributes to The Challenge of Maintaining Integrity While Fighting Corruption. Without evidence, he assumes that Lisbeth is a “whore” and quickly characterizes her as a sex object based on her appearance. Faste’s sexism clouds the entire investigation, but Andersson’s silence is equally devastating. Like many police officers in the novel, Andersson goes along with the loudest voices, and Faste’s volume condemns Lisbeth before Andersson can find any information on his own.

“‘You don’t sound convinced.’ ‘I can’t get a clear line on Salander. The paperwork says one thing, but Armansky and Blomkvist say something else. According to the paperwork she is a developmentally disabled near-psychopath. According to the two men who have worked with her, she’s a skilled researcher. That’s a huge discrepancy. We have no motive for Bjurman and nothing to say that she knew the couple in Enskede.’ ‘How much of a motive does a psychotic nutcase need?’”

Bublanski struggles with The Role of Appearances and Media in Pursuing Justice since he is getting different views of Lisbeth from different sources. He is inclined to disregard Blomkvist and Armansky’s evidence in favor of the media and Teleborian’s opinions. This dynamic shows that journalism can often lead good investigations in the wrong direction. Critically, Modig is already convinced of Lisbeth’s guilt and casually dismisses the need for a real motive, calling Lisbeth a “psychotic nutcase” and ignoring conflicting testimony.

“‘The explanation, of course, lies in her mental state,’ Armansky said, poking at one of the folders. ‘She was declared incompetent.’ ‘I didn’t have a clue about that,’ Hedström said. ‘I mean, she didn’t wear a sign on her back. And you never said anything.’ ‘No,’ Armansky said. ‘I didn’t think she needed to be any more stigmatized than she already was. Everybody deserves a chance.’ ‘And the result of that experiment is what we saw happen in Enskede,’ Bohman said.”

Just like the police, Armansky’s team places their faith entirely within the broad term “incompetent,” even though they all know that Lisbeth was the most competent researcher at Milton Security. Bohman even blames Armansky’s discretion for the murders, as though giving a job to a person with different needs and abilities would somehow lead them to commit murder. This discussion highlights the very social stigma that Armansky sought to avoid.

“‘Without expecting to be remunerated she signed over her apartment to you this spring and moved somewhere else. You have sex with her once in a while when she gets in touch, but you don’t know where she lives, what kind of work she does, or how she supports herself. Do you expect me to believe that?’ Miriam Wu glowered at him. ‘I don’t give a shit what you believe. I haven’t done anything illegal, and how I choose to live my life and who I have sex with is none of your business or anyone else’s.’”

Faste’s prejudiced assumptions about Mimmi and Lisbeth follow strict heteronormative lines since he implies that Mimmi and Lisbeth must have been in a committed, monogamous relationship. In such a relationship, Faste assumes that each partner would know everything about the other, and he cannot fathom a polyamorous, casual pairing like Mimmi and Lisbeth’s. Mimmi’s vitriolic response shows that she is practiced at confronting ignorant assumptions about her sexuality.

“‘We did lose face in the Rahman case. The prosecutor refused to listen to the facts.’ ‘Bublanski…I’m going to tell you something. At this very moment you’re losing face in the Salander case as well. I’m damn sure that she did not kill Dag and Mia, and I’m going to prove it. I’m going to produce another killer for you, and when that happens I am also going to write an article that you and your colleagues are going to find painful reading.’”

Blomkvist’s threat shows the double-edged sword of the role of appearances and media in pursuing justice. He simultaneously promises to find justice, devalues the police in that pursuit, and promises to publicly condemn them for failing to beat Millennium to the correct perpetrator. Bublanski’s acknowledgment that the media has hurt the police’s reputation before shows the potency of this tactic, which ultimately succeeds in forcing Bublanski to consider other suspects.

“Salander noted that no newspaper revealed that the most common form of care in the secure ward of the children’s psychiatric hospital, for which Dr. Teleborian was responsible, was to place ‘unruly and unmanageable patients’ in a room that was ‘free of stimuli.’ The room contained only a bed with a restraining belt. The textbook explanation was that unruly children could not receive any ‘stimuli’ that might trigger an outburst. When she grew older she discovered that there was another term for the same thing. Sensory deprivation. According to the Geneva Conventions, subjecting prisoners to sensory deprivation was classified as inhumane.”

Highlighting a crucial element of The Impact of Trauma on Personal Development, Lisbeth explains how the treatments at St. Stefan’s violated international human rights laws. People like Lisbeth are disregarded by society, and the use of such tactics in “treating” people with mental health conditions shows that society views them as less than human. Even imprisoned people who have been found guilty of crimes are afforded better treatment than traumatized children.

“She felt miserable and guilty. Wu’s only crime was that she was Salander’s…acquaintance? Friend? Lover? She didn’t quite know which word would describe her relationship with Mimmi, but she realized that whichever one she chose, it was probably over. She would have to cross one more name off her already short list of acquaintances. After all the shit written in the press, she could not imagine that her friend would want to have anything to do with that psychotic Salander woman ever again. It made her furious.”

While Lisbeth’s feelings of guilt highlight her own integrity, they also explain that she sees herself in relation to others. She cannot define her friendship with Mimmi on her own terms, and she assumes that their bond is fragile enough to break at the slightest stress. As with her other “acquaintances,” a term that inherently devalues her relationships, she assumes that they will all abandon her now that her life is being exposed in the media. On the contrary, her friends are all working to help her, but Lisbeth’s barriers are too thick for that fact to reach her.

“The second realization was that Blomkvist’s theory about Svensson’s research providing a motive for murder was completely valid. Svensson’s planned exposure of prostitutes’ clients would have done more than merely hurt a number of men. It was a brutal revelation. Some of the prominent players, several of whom had handed down verdicts in sex-crime trials or participated in the public debate, would be annihilated.”

In this moment, Bublanski finally realizes that Blomkvist’s course of action more accurately frames Dag’s and Mia’s murders as the result of research into sex trafficking. Though he cannot connect Bjurman to sex trafficking, he is starting to understand that finding this connection is more valuable than continuing to focus all efforts on Lisbeth. Bublanski calls this a “brutal revelation,” a term that shows how reluctant he is to change focus and admit his own mistakes.

Much like Bjurman’s reframing of Lisbeth and his own responsibility, Sandstrom simultaneously admits his crimes and then quickly places the blame on Ines, the woman he repeatedly raped. Though he sexually assaulted Ines with Atho, he nonsensically attempts to absolve himself by calling Ines a “fucking whore,” implicitly blaming her for his current predicament. Instead of taking responsibility for his crimes, Sandstrom normalizes sexual assault and blames his targets for retaliating. His mindset exposes the fact that such men see women only as sex objects, not as humans.

Much like Bjurman’s reframing of Lisbeth and his own responsibility, Sandstrom simultaneously admits his crimes and then quickly places the blame on Ines, the woman he repeatedly raped. Though he sexually assaulted Ines with Atho, he nonsensically attempts to absolve himself by calling Ines a “fucking whore,” implicitly blaming her for his current predicament. Instead of taking responsibility for his crimes, Sandstrom normalizes sexual assault and blames his targets for retaliating. His mindset exposes the fact that such men see women only as sex objects, not as humans.

“Salander had stayed with them for twelve days and could tell that they were tremendously proud of making a social contribution by taking her in, and that they expected her constantly to express gratitude. She had finally had enough when her foster mother, boasting to a neighbour, started expounding about how important it was that someone took care of young people who had obvious problems. I’m not a fucking social project, she wanted to scream.”

Lisbeth’s criticism of her first foster family adds a new element to the impact of trauma on personal development, as she clarifies how people can take advantage of underprivileged children to feed their own egos. Rather than engaging with Lisbeth and helping her to see herself as a valuable person, her foster family devalued her, reminding her of her “incompetence” while boasting that they were making sacrifices to help someone who was supposedly worth less than themselves.

“An APB was sent out to say that Lisbeth Salander had at last surfaced. The bulletin indicated that she was probably riding a Harley-Davidson and contained the warning that she was armed and had shot someone at a summer cabin in the vicinity of Stallarholmen.”

The bulletin on Lisbeth continues the media frenzy surrounding her role in Dag’s, Mia’s, and Bjurman’s murders, accusing her of shooting Lundin as if she did so without provocation. The wording of the bulletin implies that Lisbeth is essentially shooting people at random, a blatant reversal of their initial instincts about the case. Though Lisbeth is smaller and alone, the bulletin frames her as the aggressor against two large bikers with criminal records.

“A fire engine arrived and put out the fire. An ambulance arrived and Lisbeth had tried to get the medics to ignore Zalachenko and come and see to her mother. They had shoved her aside. The police arrived, and there were witnesses who pointed to her. She tried to explain what had happened, but it felt as if nobody was listening to her, and suddenly she was sitting in the backseat of a police car and it took minutes and minutes and minutes and finally almost an hour before the police went into the apartment and found her mother.”

This passage reflects the novel’s persistent pattern of having most characters ignore Lisbeth, shedding further light on her decision not to engage with authority figures. However, it is critical to note that the firefighters, paramedics, and police officers in this scene did not know about Zala’s importance to Sapo. They arrived and assumed that Zala, having been lit on fire by Lisbeth, was innocent, and they therefore ignored the pleading of a child and her injured mother. This scenario emphasizes the inherent patriarchy and sexism of Swedish society, given that Zala maintained dominance over Agneta and Lisbeth by virtue of being a man.

“Blomkvist ended his tour in her office. There were no flowers anywhere. There were no paintings or even posters on the walls. There were no rugs or wall hangings. He could not see a single decorative bowl, candlestick, or even a knickknack that had been saved for sentimental reasons. Blomkvist felt as if someone were squeezing his heart. He felt that he had to find Salander and hold her close. She would probably bite him if he tried. Fucking Zalachenko.”

Blomkvist’s reaction to Lisbeth’s Mosebacke apartment highlights the potency of this place as a symbol of Lisbeth’s maladjustment and loneliness. The apartment is empty, and Blomkvist later notes that only a few of the many rooms are used at all. Notably, Blomkvist’s first desire is to comfort Lisbeth, but he quickly connects her introversion to the abuses that Zalachenko inflicted on her family. Blomkvist, unlike so many people in Lisbeth’s life, does not blame her for her quirks; instead, he blames the source of her trauma.

“‘You should have left my mother alone.’ ‘Your mother was a whore.’ Salander’s eyes turned black as coal. ‘She was no whore. She worked as a cashier in a supermarket and tried to make ends meet.’ Zalachenko laughed again. ‘You can have whatever fantasies you want about her. But I know that she was a whore. And she made sure to get pregnant right away and then tried to get me to marry her. As if I’d marry a whore.’”

As with Bjurman, Sandstrom, Bjorck, and Faste, Zala tries to blame Agneta and Lisbeth for the abuses that he perpetrated upon them, as though they deserved punishment simply for being women. Even when Lisbeth defies his worldview, Zala dismisses any positive framing of women as “fantasies” and insists that they can only be “whores.” The final line cements the patriarchal toxicity of Zala’s perspective, and he implies that the best thing a woman can hope for is marriage, even to a man like himself. His perspective also adds another implicit degree of blame on Agneta for even trying to marry someone.