The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo and Philosophy: Everything Is Fire

Blackwell Philosophy and Pop Culture #25

by Eric Bronson (Editor), William Irwn (Series Editor), Andrew Zimmerman Jones (Contributor)

The essential companion to Stieg Larsson's bestselling trilogy and director David Fincher's 2011 film adaptation Stieg Larsson's bestselling Millennium Trilogy--The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, The Girl Who Played with Fire, and The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest--is an international phenomenon. These books express Larsson's lifelong war against injustice, his ethical beliefs, and his deep concern for women's rights. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo and Philosophy probes the compelling philosophical issues behind the entire trilogy. What philosophies do Lisbeth Salander and Kant have in common? To catch a criminal, can Lisbeth and Mikael be criminals themselves? Can revenge be ethical? Drawing on some of history's greatest philosophical minds, this book gives fresh insights into Larsson's ingeniously plotted tale of crime and corruption.


Looks at compelling philosophical issues such as a feminist reading of Lisbeth Salander, Aristotelian arguments for why we love revenge, how Kant can explain why so many women sleep with Mikael Blomkvist, and many more Includes a chapter from a colleague of Larsson's--who worked with him in anti-Nazi activities--that explores Larsson's philosophical views on skepticism and quotes from never-before-seen correspondence with Larsson Offers new insights into the novels' key characters, including Lisbeth Salander and Mikael Blomkvist, and investigates the author, Stieg Larsson As engrossing as the quest to free Lisbeth Salander from her past, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo and Philosophy is ideal reading for anyone interested in unraveling the subtext and exploring the greater issues at work in the story.

Genres: Philosophy, Nonfiction, Literature, Film, Pop Culture, Cultural

240 pages, Paperback

First published September 20, 2011

About the author

Eric Bronson is the author or editor of seven books. He has a Ph.D. in philosophy and currently teaches in the Humanities Department at York University in Toronto. His classes on Modern Life focus on anxiety, creativity, and happiness.

His most recent book, Enchanted Wisdom, takes readers through the ancient religious roots of enchanting activities from around the world like cooking Chinese food, climbing Mt. Everest, and dancing to gospel music. His most recent work of historical fiction, King of Rags, explores Scott Joplin's tragic quest to write the music of civil rights fifty years before America was ready to listen.

The Chicago Sun Times noted that Bronson's "Baseball and Philosophy makes you realize just how fun thinking about baseball really is."

Reviews

[Danine · Rating 4 out of 5]

A perfect Danine combo. The Millenium Trilogy mixed with philosophy. I've read several other books in the Blackwell Philosophy serious and I felt this edition was the weakest I've read so far. With that said I proceed.

Notes and observations:

P. Identity Kit (Erving Goffman (1922-1982) - The cosmetics and clothing used to manage the guise we appear to others. I couldn't help but evaluate what my "identity kit" is.

p. "The conclusion is not that we should be nicer to people who are different from us, but that we should see ourselves in them and see them in ourselves. A mere slip of the pen, and our places could be reserved."

p.25. Binary Division (Foucault) - Mad vs. Sane. Binary division is used in schools. The problem solving child vs. at risk child. The at risk child is treated more lowly than the problem solving child. A pre-dispostioning so to speak. The at risk child is treated negatively and this will stay with the child into adulthood. A negative association. A problem child is treated positively and a positive association will go with them into adulthood.

"The process of binary division and branding allows school officials to identify and categorize students in order to act on them. It also encourages children to act on themselves."

"When a child is identified as unable to solve problems and is therefore labeled at risk of academic failure, school officials ahve carte blanche to scrutinize and regulate all behavior. This is especially true in the U.S. educational system, because the potential factors that place children at risk of academic failure are defined broadly. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the following conditions may place a child at risk of failure: neither parent or guardian is employed, has a famly income of less than $10,000, either parent immigrated in the last five years, does not live with both parents, speaks English less than "very well," retained a grade at least once, or has at least one disability." (p.28)

p 35: "Lisbeth Slander is a character with feminist values who resists feminism."

p 36: "Larson describes Lisbeth as someone with a strong personal moral code and a vengeful nature, but not as a person with overtly stated political beliefs."

p 37: In an interview, Rapace pints to Salander's rejection of victimization as the source of her appeal to women in particular: "She does not complain and she does not accept being a victim. Almost everybody has treated her so badly and has done horrible things to her but she doesn't accept it and won't become the victim they try to force her to be." This makes her very stoic to me. It pisses people off when people flaunt their victim-ness. Salander endures her abuse which is terribly unfortunate. The Salander way to process these horrific treatment is to turn accept it and, when needed, turn it into ammo for her revenge.

p 42: Salander-unlike-Mimmi-had never thought of herself as a lesbian. She had never brooded over whether she was straight, gay or even bisexual. She did not give a damn about labels, did not see that it was anyone else's business whom she spent her nights with." Yup.

p. 61: Mikael never objectifies women or tries to control them. No BS. He respects women as professionals. No different from himself. He just doesn't want commitment. I see nothing wrong with his promiscuity. He is up front with women about not wanting a relationship. He doesn't play games with women's emotions. He uses the same professionalism in the bedroom that he uses as a journalist. I think that is something to be respected. When a woman goes to bed with him they know the rules. Maybe the idea of not being able to "own" Mikael produces mystery that women want to conquer, tame, make him theirs?

p. 66: I love that this book covered the coffee obsession in the trilogy. European philosophers took their first swigs of coffee in the seventeenth century.

Penny Universites: Coffeehouses where intellectuals held discussions. Boulevard Saint-Germain: Sartre and Simone de Beauvoir wrote books at these cafes. Second Sex was born in a Penny University.

p. 113: "Lisbeth, for instance, with her characteristically black-and-white form of morality Harriet Vangar for not preventing her brother Martin's decades-long murderous spree." I am very familiar with this black-and-white ideology. It is insightful as it gets to the point that others do not see. At the same it can be crippling.

p.113: "Paradox of fiction." - Empathizing with characters is an emotional investment on our part. We have real emotional/psychological responses to fictional events that we know are not real. The paradox raises this question: Must we believe that something or someone actually exists in order to be emotionally moved? For that matter, why would we care about something that isn't real? Do we simply engage in a "willing suspension of disbelief as Coleridge called it?

p.122: Poetics-Aristotle-Tragic heros need to be exaggerations of ourselves so that we see characteristics more clearly. According to Aristotle, our identification with Salander is crucial because it enables us to feel both pity and terror.

p.123: Aristotle wrote that we achieve "by means of pity and terror a catharsis of such emotions." What is my catharsis? Writing with loud music. Kickboxing. Purging anger. Purge the bad shit. Experience anger in a safe environment.

Chapter 10: The Dragon Tattoo and the Voyeuristic Reader.

This essay claims that the trilogy is Larsson's big-ass rape fantasy in print. It claims that the book is just porn for people who like rape fantasies. It claims that Larsson enjoyed rape fantasy.

It is my understanding that Larsson wrote this to bring many topics to light like the welfare state, misogyny, Nazism, politics, etc. The claims in this essay are pathetic and weak.



p.183: The difference between revenge and punishment.

Revenge: In the interest of him who inflicts it-more personal.

Punishment: In the interest of the sufferer-Police.

Lisbeth's intention to seek revenge against Bjurman is revenge. "She is avenging herself ad protecting other women."

p. 186: Do we root for Lisbeth because we all know what it's like to be taken advantage of? Only we abide by laws and we don't take revenge in our own hands like she does.

p. 187: Lisbeth's actions are crucial to her preservation and ultimately her happiness." Everyone is entitled to happiness and be left in peace?

p.193: Unlike the villains she chases, Salander sometimes puts her self-interest aside for a larger moral purpose. Blomkvist understand that "she's a person with strong will. She has morals."

p. 194: Kant's second formulation of the categorical imperative: "Act in such a way that you always treat humanity, whether in your own person or in the person of another, never simply as means, but always at the same as an end." To consider the other person's humanity "not merely as means but always at the same time as an end" means that you should not submit others to your advantage, using them or humiliating them, lying to them or stealing from them.

p. 195: (Kant) Humans are interdependent. Everyone should help everyone else because, obviously, we might need others to help us sometimes. Lisbeth believes that no one will help her and thus relies on no one. Even though she saves Blomkvist's life she never calls in a favor for it. Oh, how I can relate to that.

Favorite quotes:

Everything great is done in the storm. -Plato

p. 3: "Because Philosophers don't suffer fools kindly"

p. 28: "She minded her own business and didn't interfere with what anyone around her did. Yet there was always someone who absolutely could not leave her in peace." -ME ME ME. Despite my personal values and morals that I myself practice and force no one to practice with me, some dill-hole is all too happy to criticize me, make fun of me and feel the need to downright humiliate me just because. This is the main reason among so many that I empathize with Salander.

[Tiffani · Rating 2 out of 5]

The books in the Blackwell Philosophy and Pop Culture Series explore television, movies, and books and other exemplars of pop culture through the lens of philosophy. Despite the name, and perhaps not surprisingly, the books tend to lean more toward pop culture than toward the philosophical end of the spectrum. For those truly interested in philosophy, this is probably not the right series for you. However, for those interested in a given show, movie, book, etcetera, this series can be fun a trip down the rabbit hole of fandom.

I’ve read and enjoyed a few entries in this series, including ones exploring the philosophical questions presented by The Game of Thrones, True Blood, and Batman. Given that I have read the first two books in Stieg Larsson’s trilogy and seen all the movies (Swedish and American) The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo and Philosophy seemed like a good choice for my next trip into this series. Plus Larsson's books would seem ripe for philosophical exploration, what with their complicated political, criminal and societal plots of murder and corruption. Unfortunately I was a tad disappointed in this entry in the Blackwell series. Too many of the essays did not even attempt to discuss philosophy. Why Journalists and Geniuses Love Coffee for instance, focuses largely on the history of European coffee houses and their role in fostering intellectual curiosity and debate. While this essay was sort of interesting it was nothing new and not exactly about philosophy. Maybe it is just that I'm over The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo. I mean, I haven’t even made it to the third book yet and don’t expect to anytime soon.

[Särah Nour · Rating 4 out of 5]

The series that brought us House and Philosophy, Harry Potter and Philosophy, The Hunger Games and Philosophy, and other such books, now delves into the moral, philosophical, and sociological implications of Stieg Larsson’s famed crime series, and its intriguing heroine. For fans of the series, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo and Philosophy should provide many an insight and thought-provoking concept that may challenge or reinforce notions of the characters and the social issues portrayed in the trilogy.

Part One—entitled “Lisbeth ‘The Idiot’ Salander”—explores the character of Lisbeth and her femininity, or lack thereof; particularly the concept of being “genderqueer,” a term in feminist and queer theory that refers to the absence of a clearly defined gender identity. There’s also commentary on the incompetent school system that failed to recognize her intellectual gifts, and those like her who fall through the cracks due to the marginalization of “at risk” children. Also calling into question the functions and responsibilities of educational systems are the theories of French philosopher Michel Foucault, who—like Stieg Larsson himself—views power as a double-edged sword with the capacity to build or destroy.

Part Two, “Mikael ‘Do Gooder’ Blomkvist,” tackles the role of crime journalism in society, and women’s inexplicable attraction to Blomkvist; the latter of which is examined through the lens of Immanuel Kant’s theories on sexual relationships. Both Part Two and Part Three—“Stieg Larsson, Mystery Man”—note the similarities between the author and the male protagonist, such as their social activism and exposure of injustices. While Blomkvist’s relations with women and his sexual promiscuity are addressed, Larsson’s feminist sensibilities are also called into question, such as the graphic depiction of sexual violence in his books and whether he had voyeuristic intentions beyond portraying the reality of violence against women.

In the interest of relating to readers on a contemporary level, Part Four: “Everyone Has Secrets,” features the controversial figure of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, as well as the “hacker ethic:” Lisbeth’s rationalization of her hacking computers and invading peoples’ privacy, not just for the sake of exposing criminals and corrupt government officials, but also for the fun of it. The analysis of Lisbeth’s moral code continues with Part Five: “75,000 Volts of Vengeance Can’t Be Wrong, Can It?” addressing not only the ethics of revenge but also the psychological implications of readers identifying with Lisbeth and condoning her illegal activities.

Ancient Greek philosophers have a presence throughout the book; not only their philosophies but also the principles of ancient Greek theater, such as Plato’s perception that drama should teach moral lessons versus Aristotle’s view on drama providing catharsis—such as readers vicariously reveling in their revenge fantasies via Lisbeth’s vigilantism. On a lighter note, Part Three boasts a chapter entitled, “Why Journalists and Geniuses Love Coffee and Hate Themselves,” which details the history of coffee shops and the custom of writers and other artists seeking refuge there. Philosophers who—like Blomkvist and his fellow journalists—wrote their important works in coffee shops include Jean-Paul Sartre and Simon de Beauvoir.

Readers will certainly find themselves taking note of the sources cited at the end of each essay, seeking further reading of the philosophers, feminists, politicians, and Greek dramatists whose writings contributed to this collection. More than anything, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo and Philosophy fulfills the purpose of the series itself in challenging our perceptions of governments, feminism, gender identity, and whether the ends justify the means. For any reader who can’t get enough of Lisbeth Salander, this book should alleviate at least some of the disappointment over the lack of a fourth novel.

[Katniss · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book contains essays that talks about the Millenium Trilogy and its author Stieg Larsson. It explains why people read this kind of trilogy. One of the authors asked this question, " Is reading a form of escapism, a respite from our (occasionally) banal real-world existence into a fictional one that's more exciting? Or do we read in order to better understand and thus engage with the world in which we leave?"

I've enjoyed reading this book, though I'm not a student of Philosophy. I recommend this book to all fans of the Millenium trilogy.

[Meghana · Rating 1 out of 5]

Despite the series name, this book is more pop culture than philosophy, but fails as an interesting-tidbit companion book/heaven for fans because of its scientific and analytic manner. There was one or two interesting pieces of info, but overall the book failed. Which is a shame, as some of the other books in the series had looked promising. I also think that's there a lot of interesting issues discussed in the Millennium series, such as feminism, mental health rights, freedom of press, abuse of power, etc. So it's such a shame this book did not turn out as I hoped.

[Gretchen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I want to be Lisbeth Salander. Actually, I think I am, only taller.

[Fred · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’d never heard of the Blackwell Philosophy and Pop Culture series until recently! I was browsing a library server for critical sources on Stieg Larsson, and then I found this. I’ll definitely read the Harry Potter one as well; it looks like great fun.

I love Stieg Larsson’s books, as well as the Rooney Mara adaptation of Book One, so this seemed like a natural follow-up. The book is a collection of philosophy essays all authored by different academics, meaning we get a diverse array of views and perspectives. (Exactly how philosophy should be!)

I was surprised by some of the stylistic choices. Maybe academic traditions are different in the US (or maybe seasoned academics are permitted to take more liberties than students, which would be entirely understandable). Some (not all) of the essays here would have been marked down at my university for the following:
1. Lack of focus. Some (again, not all!) of these essays lack a clear line of argument; they seem more exploratory than argumentative. The otherwise fantastic essay “To Catch a Thief: The Ethics of Deceiving Bad People” doesn’t come to any overarching conclusion. It examines each of Lisbeth’s crimes in turn, judges whether each one can be seen as justified based on context, and then the article just…ends.
2. Plot retelling. Some of these essays waste valuable words just narrating Stieg Larsson’s story… “Kicking the Hornet’s Nest: The Hidden “Section” in Every Institution” was guilty of this. It would narrate the story, followed by an analysis which I found a bit simplistic. (“Larsson teaches us that institutions are corrupt. This is a problem in a democracy.” …nothing that any reader with half a brain wouldn’t have already perceived.)

However, that aside, generally, I really enjoyed this text! Even the aforementioned essays had fascinating content, and some of the others were just superb. A couple I wildly disagreed with (Jaime Weida’s “The Dragon Tattoo and the Voyeuristic Reader” was one of those), but it was still intellectually fun to disagree with them. And as I’m a total novice in philosophy, most of them taught me loads I didn’t know about Aristotle, Kant, Plato, etc. It was grand.

My favourite essays explored:
- Why Aristotle would approve of Lisbeth’s revenge on Bjurman,
- Lisbeth’s similarities and differences with the ethics of Immanuel Kant,
- Aristotle’s understanding of ‘catharsis’ as improving our understanding of troubling issues (thus justifying the existence of tragedy),
- Aristotle vs Plato on whether books should depict bad things for fear of encouraging them (I side with Aristotle - of course there is value in books depicting bad things!),
- Whether Larsson’s books are “high” or “low” brow (or whether we should reject this hierarchy entirely and think of it as more of a spectrum)
- Stigma and how stigmatised people are held to higher account for behaviours otherwise seen as ‘normal’
- The creation of oppressive identities by those who hold institutional power (Foucault)

[Hazy · Rating 2 out of 5]

A filler book I had on my shelf for half-a-decade. The title is a misnomer, as most of the essays have little to do with actual philosophy The few that do mainly mention Foucault, Aristotle and Kant in a superficial sense. Some basic ideas are described, but the vast majority of the book is essentially a collection of academics repeatedly synopsizing the events of the Millennium Trilogy at length.

'TGWTDT and Related Readings' would be a more apt title, as there are some topics (crime journalism in Sweden, the stigma of being labeled as 'mentally ill', etc.) that are actually interesting to read about, but unfortunately cannot go into too much depth because of the length of each essay.

Some essays are also just god-awful. One, dedicated entirely to why so many characters drink coffee and an unsatisfactory description of coffee houses, is only tangentially related to philosophy. Another tries to explain how Lisbeth's rape could be construed as sexual titillation to the male reader. And a third, embarrassingly dated now, attempts to compare Salander's ethical hacking to Julian Assange and WikiLeaks (seriously). A fourth is essentially a short biography and postmortem blowjob of Stieg Larsson by a friend who happens to be a philosopher.

Normally, I would just excuse most of these as just being opinions that I fervently disagree with, as most of these writers are fans of the novels like myself. But one frequent statement keeps sticking in my craw. No, the Millennium trilogy is not unique among crime novels. If you're talking about books with a protagonist with a strong moral core, literally check out almost every goddamn mystery series out there. If you're talking about vigilantism and moral ambiguity, noir novels have all that shit in spade.

Stop treating Scandinavian noir like it's this unique animal when they use the exact same tropes as its brethren in the genre. It's fucking annoying and is only said by people who haven't read that many crime novels.

[Carrie-Steve Berdrow · Rating 4 out of 5]

Would have given this 5 stars, but (spoiler alert) the chapters after the mystery was resolved was a bit boring. Kind of wanted the book to end..but it just kept going. I think if the author had been alive when it was published this might have been addressed. Now my wife things the whole thing was just awesome from page one from cover to cover.

[Ricardo Cuato · Rating 5 out of 5]

Este thriller sueco segue a jornalista Mikael Blomkvist e a hacker Lisbeth Salander enquanto investigam um caso de desaparecimento envolvendo uma família rica. A trama aborda corrupção, segredos familiares obscuros e violência. Lisbeth, com sua tatuagem de dragão, é uma personagem complexa e cativante.

[Cindy · Rating 3 out of 5]

A collection of essays expounding on the philosophical ideas in the GWTDT. One essay related the author's life and how this influenced his writing. This is interesting if you are interested in philosophy.

[Dana Sugg · Rating 3 out of 5]

Made me want to read the series again.

[Sree · Rating 3 out of 5]

Want to read it

[Reese A · Rating 4 out of 5]

Amazing book the ending left me unsatisfied

[Rebie]

no one ever came close to Sydney Sheldon when it comes to novel until i started reading Stieg Larsson. my gosh! it has been ages since the time i would read until wee hours in the morning and so now Larsson is in my most loved authors ;) can't put down the book. i would switch between playing candy crush and back to reading again until dawn and after a few hours sleep finished the last few pages. Now i'm thinking if i would ever start the sequel book given the demand of time. hahahaha
beautifully written and i love the wits and genius of Salander ü

[Ashwise · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really like this philosophy series and how they analyze pop culture and how philosophy relates, though I'm not really into philosophy. This one presented interesting works such as vengence, why women are attracted to Blomkivist (it's because he respects them and treats them as equals,) and how Lisbeth Salander has no gender, which I found rather interesting. A great must read if you like philosophy and The Girl with the Dragon Tatoo.

[Todd Kinsey · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is a series of interesting essays that discuss the underlying philosophy of Steig Larsson's brilliant Millennium trilogy. The problem is that most liberals / progressives fall into the Kantian school of philosophy and fail to see all the flaws and contradictions... But that liberalism.

The book is well written and is worth a read if you enjoy philosophy. It is written so that even the uninitiated should comprehend most of the theories.

[Roxanne · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an interesting read...I got it for Christmas from my mom's boyfriend and I have to say, I would not have picked it up if I hadn't gotten it then. As much as I love the Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, I didn't really enjoy reading about some guy dissecting all my favorite characters. Unless you like those kinds of books, I wouldn't recommend it.

[Charles · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some very good essays, some rather mediocre - a nice mix (even better if you can acquire the book as a gift, or used!)

[Joy · Rating 3 out of 5]

The essays vary in quality but on the whole are interesting explorations of questions related to or raised by _the Millennium Trilogy_ by Stieg Larsson.

[Ashley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very interesting concepts. It helped bring more insights to the trilogy that I wouldn't have thought otherwise.

[Khrys Nguyen]

This should be interesting.. I hope it's good :-)

[Amazingsomeone · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's a decent book, anyhow, I would say that if you are new to this series, you would be better off picking up another book: such as Big Bang Theory and Philosophy or South Park and Philosophy.