Violence Against Women

The overriding theme of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo is extreme violence against women. In addition to chapters, the book is divided into four parts and each one begins with a statistic regarding violence against women in Sweden, where the novel is set.

Much of the book's violence is of a sexual nature. Long before the reader learns about Gottfried and Martin Vanger's long history of raping, torturing and killing women, one of the book's most graphic and disturbing scenes occurs when Salander's guardian, Nils Bjurman, anally rapes and brutalizes her for several hours. However, it quickly becomes clear that he has seriously misjudged his victim, since Salander is not the mentally disturbed young woman he thinks she is and soon retaliates with an equally violent attack on him, including a sexual attack.

Martin and Gottfried's victims are not as fortunate. The investigation into Harriet's...