Adam Botach period 4

Research Paper Introduction

Stieg Larsson was a Swedish writer and active journalist who wrote about the flaws and the injustices in society as he saw it. Through the horrible brutality and the harsh descriptions in his books, Larsson successfully delivers a strong message and conquers the hearts of millions of readers all around the world today - several years even after he passed away.1 The modern drama in Larssons Millennium Trilogy2 and the characters in it are in many occasions based on true people that he met or different events that he experienced in his own life, and therefore are a primary reason why his books feel so realistic and convincing. Through his eccentric and violent characters, their negative attitudes and their radical beliefs (especially towards women), Larsson generates conflict and delivers a strong message that reality is unjust and a change has to be done. In fact, to make the events in the The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo and The Girl Who Kicked the Hornets Nest sound even more realistic, Larsson often relates to true events or figures in the history of our world, and explains how they inspired his characters or affected their decisions or beliefs. Through the harsh struggles of his characters against unjust societies and uncontrolled authorities, Stieg Larsson openly expresses social criticism. Larsson emphasizes the inequality between the sexes by presenting serious discrimination and horrible harassments of his female characters by violent evil males. In addition, Themes of loneliness portray all the main characters, with different results for each one. Larsson also demonstrates the disaster that uncontrolled authorities can cause, even in a democracy.
1 2

Sadly, Larssons books were actually published after he died. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo and The Girl Who Kicked the Hornets Nest (the books this research paper is based upon), are part of Larssons Millennium Trilogy.