The Characters Of Mikael Blomkvist And Lisabeth Salander

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Recommended: The role of women in literature

Abigail Greenberg Greenberg 1
Professor Suzanne Gittleman
Introduction to Literature
10 March 2014
Mikael Blomkvist and Lisabeth Salander are characters that intrigue you immediately. Mikael Blomkvist is a reporter, editor, and co-owner of the financial magazine, Millennium. Blomkvist’s main goal in his career is to show the truth in every case and create a better reputation for himself. Lisabeth Salander is a character who has a mysterious and painful past. She is independent, stubborn, and intelligent. She is able to use her intelligence to get away with many things and solve various problems that occur. Salander and Blomkvist develop a close personal and professional relationship that develops throughout the story. In the Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Steig Larsson, Lisabeth and Mikael change by the end of the novel. Lisabeth is able to grow emotionally and allow herself to become vulnerable with Mikael and others. Mikael is able to solve problems more efficiently because he is not so worried about what is right versus wrong, which allows him to reach his goals romantically and professionally.
Lisabeth strongly believes in keeping to herself, staying safe, and self-sufficiency. She values being alone and likes things to be done on her own. She doesn’t keep long or deep relationships with others and is often standoffish which makes it hard to break into her shell. “She was perfectly content as long as people left her in peace” (Larsson 430-431). She has always been alone and likes it that way. Lisabeth has had to make many crucial decisions throughout the book. Lisabeth chooses not to live with foster families or respond to anyone in school. She chooses to be a hacker and work for Milton security and...

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...shows her that she is important and different from everyone else’s opinion of her. If one definition of the major character or protagonist is that the character changes during the story, Mikael and Lisabeth show this to be true throughout the story. They both change by the end of the book and we, as the readers, feel a strong connection between the two of them that shapes who they will become in the future. The characters of Mikael and Lisabeth are very relatable to most new relationships that develop which typically can end in heartbreak. Mikael shaped Lisabeth to become more outgoing and social even if we are left questioning her attitude at the end of the book when she losses trust in Mikael after seeing him with Berger. Even though Mikael left her broken hearted, her journey with him has allowed both characters the chance to grow and learn from each other.

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