The Girl Who Played With Fire

Arguably, Blomkvist is the protagonist of The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo and the deuteragonist of The Girl Who Played With Fire since the second novel focuses much more heavily on Lisbeth’s past and character development. Nonetheless, he again plays a central role in the story, spearheading the investigation into Dag’s, Mia’s, and Bjurman’s deaths with an emphasis on proving Lisbeth’s innocence. Blomkvist is Larsson’s self-insert character: an idealized version of what Larsson wanted to be. Like Larsson, Blomkvist is a pioneer in investigative journalism who uses his skills to take down immoral and unethical people in positions of power. Blomkvist’s occupation is emblematic of his own morals, which are centered on truth and integrity, rather than laws and conventions. A critical element in Blomkvist’s unconventional outlook is his polyamorous lifestyle, in which he maintains multiple affairs with different women. On one hand, these affairs may have played into Larsson’s fantasy, but they also center Blomkvist as a man who explicitly loves women, in contrast to the many men in Larsson’s works who hate women.

However, Blomkvist’s polyamory is also the source of his conflict with Lisbeth, who realizes that she is falling in love with him. Blomkvist’s failure to identify this conflict as the reason behind Lisbeth’s decision to cut contact stands as an unresolved challenge for him. However, much of Blomkvist’s growth arises from his investigation into Lisbeth’s life. He begins to see that he is one of the few people she trusts, and he understands that Lisbeth would only cut him out of her life because of a perceived betrayal. A fundamental element of Blomkvist’s character is his consistency in accepting people, flaws and all; this allows him to get close to Lisbeth. Like her, Blomkvist has a specific moral code, and anything that does meet his definition of immorality is acceptable to him. Unlike the other journalists in the novel, who see Lisbeth’s past as fraught with indications of deviance and abnormality, Blomkvist sees nothing wrong with Lisbeth’s relationships or her actions under duress, such as the event that Lisbeth calls “All The Evil.”

Bublanski is the police officer in charge of the investigation into Dag’s and Mia’s murders; he is the central figure in the police plotline of the novel. While Lisbeth has her own story, Blomkvist leads the Millennium investigation, and Niedermann is the main antagonist for most of the novel, Bublanski is the “official” investigator. Bublanski is unique within this role since he often deviates from what other police and government officials think and do. He represents the ideal police officer, keeping an open mind to new developments and possibilities. However, this idealism is itself a form of character development. At one point, Bublanski notes that different cases are usually simple, and he feels that he knows the most straightforward solution to each type of case. Only when he realizes that Lisbeth does not fall into his perception of “normal” does he begin to consider how extraordinary her case is.

Bublanski’s role is also to show the dangers of avoiding direct confrontation with discrimination and prejudice. For most of the novel, Bublanski tries not to directly address Faste’s misbehavior, and only when Bublanski is convinced of Lisbeth’s innocence does he declare that Faste’s sexism is hindering the case. However, although Bublanski consistently defends Modig, who is often the target of Faste’s discriminatory remarks, he does not confront the broader issues of discrimination until matters have already progressed too far.

Mimmi is Lisbeth’s friend and a supporting character. Unlike Lisbeth, Mimmi is tall and feminine, contrasting with Lisbeth’s “boy-like” body, and Lisbeth indicates that she is envious of Mimmi’s appearance. Mimmi’s femininity is central to her character, as she represents a conceptual, female-centric lifestyle. She is a lesbian who runs a business that caters to women’s sexuality, and her notable friendships and connections are all with women. Larsson frequently uses his works to examine how men see women, highlighting the different ways in which men consider women to be dependent on or subservient to men. However, Mimmi’s life challenges this patriarchal outlook, as she stands as a successful woman who fills her life with women and femininity.

As a supporting character, Mimmi’s role is linked to Lisbeth, and her acceptance of Lisbeth shows that Lisbeth’s paranoia is unfounded. When Lisbeth visits Mimmi after returning to Sweden, Lisbeth asks repeatedly if Mimmi wants Lisbeth to leave. This dynamic suggests that Lisbeth wants Mimmi’s approval and acceptance but does not believe she deserves it. Mimmi counters Lisbeth’s insecurity with boisterous confidence, which Mimmi maintains even as she is interrogated by Faste and kidnapped by Niedermann. Mimmi is essentially a representation of the bold, unapologetic woman whom Lisbeth could become if she addresses and overcomes her trauma.

Niedermann, known for most of the novel as “the blond giant,” is the secondary antagonist, but he is the central antagonist during the investigation into Zala since he remains an enigma until the second half of Part 4. Niedermann is huge and imposing, which represents his violence and domination over everyone he encounters. However, his voice is high-pitched and his face is “childlike,” with other characters noting that he seems to have never experienced puberty. This contrast is representative of Niedermann’s psyche, as he is entirely dependent on his father, Zala, but it has broader implications for Larsson’s perspective on men who hate women. Blomkvist and Bublanski, who respect women, are implicitly mature and adult, and Niedermann’s childish features are designed to indicate that the men involved in sex trafficking and abusing women are likewise immature.

Niedermann’s role is to hint at a broader organization of men who abuse women, ultimately leading Blomkvist and Lisbeth to Karl Axel Bodin, or Zala. Zala explains to Lisbeth that Niedermann is essentially an extension of Zala, describing him as his “arms and legs” (468). However, Niedermann thinks of himself as Zala’s replacement, seeing himself in charge of Zala’s organization after Zala’s death, and he even decides to leave Zala to die to achieve this goal. This betrayal reveals that Zala’s organization functions without real trust or reliability.