The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

“He had no wish to discuss the verdict, but questions were unavoidable, and he—of all people—knew that they had to be asked and answered. This is how it is to be a criminal, he thought. On the other side of the microphone.”

Blomkvist experiences what it is like to be on the receiving end of media attention and is made to feel like a criminal. His comment reveals his conflicted attitude about his own profession, particularly the ways the media forsakes privacy and accuracy for sensationalism and soundbites. Blomkvist is surrounded by his peers, and while some feel embarrassed for him, others are gleeful to see one of their own fall from grace. By experiencing the media’s invasive attention, Blomkvist becomes further aware of his own responsibilities as an ethical reporter.

“Lately, a new client group had arisen: affluent women seeking protection from former boyfriends or husbands or from stalkers…but not infrequently his business clients would drag in private problems that had a tendency to create unwelcome turmoil. I want to know to know what sort of creep my daughter is going out with…I think my wife is being unfaithful…Armansky often gave them a straightforward no.”

Armansky acknowledges two types of clients that seek Milton Security’s services: women who seek protection from men, and men who seek to monitor women. Both relate to the ways men assert power over women, and Armanksy’s “no” to the latter group reveals that he does not condone the ways men feel entitled to surveil women, regardless if they are daughters or wives. The two client types also highlight intimate partner violence and the class dynamics that afford “affluent women” options to seek protection but leave other women vulnerable. Larsson includes this small scene to reference the novel’s larger themes of misogyny and women’s agency.