The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo: Other Literary Devices

Genre

Mystery; thriller; crime fiction

Narrator

An unidentified narrator describes the events of the story as they occur, periodically expressing a subtle sympathy for, or understanding of, the protagonist’s views.

Point of view

The narrator speaks in the third person, focusing alternately on multiple characters throughout the novel. The narrator primarily observes the actions and behaviors of the characters objectively (as they would appear to an outside observer), but also provides frequent insight into the thoughts and feelings of the characters.

Tone

Objective, but occasionally sympathetic and critical of economic and social corruption

Tense

Past

Setting (time)

2002

Setting (place)

A series of real locations throughout Sweden with the exception of Hedeby, which is fictional

Protagonist

Mikael Blomkvist

Major conflict

Mikael Blomkvist tries to solve the mystery of Harriet Vanger’s disappearance while simultaneously trying to restore his journalistic credibility and save Millennium, the magazine he co-founded.

Rising action

Blomkvist and Salander, partners in Blomkvist’s quest to unravel the mystery of Harriet’s demise, hurriedly piece together fragmented bits of information to figure out the relation of several serial killings to Harriet’s disappearance as Blomkvist’s political magazine, Millennium, flounders under the weight of his unjust libel conviction.

Climax

Blomkvist’s capture by Martin Vanger, the second-generation serial killer, and Salander’s subsequent intervention alters the course of the narrative by confirming Blomkvist and Salander’s suspicions about Martin’s cruelty towards women and revealing that Harriet, the subject of all their inquiry, is very much alive.

Falling action

The news that Harriet is alive and well in Australia promises Henrik peace and the Vanger company a future, while Salander and Blomkvist reconcile themselves to what they’ve discovered and profit financially and professionally from their triumph.

Foreshadowing

Blomkvist’s discovery of a dead and dismembered cat on the porch hints at the violence that will occur later in the novel; the break-in at Blomkvist’s cabin in Hedeby foreshadows the brutal confrontation he will later have with Martin; Salander’s research on the psychopathology of sadism foreshadows her discovery of Martin’s true nature

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