Don’t judge a book by its cover. Lisbeth Salander is a perfect example
of where this saying comes into place. From the start, in chapter two, she’s
described as a “pale, anorexic young women who had hair as short as fuse, and a
pierced nose and eyebrows” with tattoos everywhere and dyed black hair.
Salander, in fact, does not seem to resemble a girl whatsoever. When a person
like this comes to mind, words like hard-worker, diligent, and smart aren’t
exactly the first to pop up. However, she holds a job at a personal
investigation office and the boss admits that she’s the most talented employee
he’s ever had and her work is always so far above and beyond the normal
expectations. Salander always submitted lengthy reports without a single
unsupported fact. Why did Stieg Larson choose to give this female protagonist
such a shocking appearance? If he had made Salander your typical teenage girl
with long blonde hair in fancy clothes, the novel would not be the same.
Readers, like myself, are dying to know what has made her this way. Each tattoo
must have a meaning. Girls don’t become this way without an extremely dark
past. Salander’s struggle provides for a story within the actual main event.
Sure the focus is on solving the murder of Harriet, but having two things going
on at once can hold a readers attention that much longer. No wonder the books
are so big! Salander’s character also shows extreme variation between her and
Blomkvist. I’d describe him as an average guy with bad luck. Both characters
have had unfortunate things happen to them, and I think that will be a way to
tie them together. By making Lisbeth Salander fit in “as well as a buffalo at a
boat show”, not only is a second plot added to the book, but it makes me want
to know so much more about her and why she is the way she is.
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