It seems beyond obvious that if I’m going to discuss strong female characters in books, I should start with the currently most popular female fictional character; Lisbeth Salander, Stieg Larsson’s impressive creation from The Millennium Trilogy.
At first glance, this evocative character, first introduced to us in The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, comes across as intensely complex. Even with three books devoted to her, it seems that Larsson only scratched the surface of this character. She’s physically slight, but solid thanks to her boxing training. She dresses to be both noticed and to warn people to stay away. Her hidden past is a tragedy that has marked her deeper than any one of her demonstrative tattoos ever could. And her intense anger is buried under a protective layer of impassiveness that keeps her disconnected from the rest of society.
But for all of her double-sided attributes she has one truly covetable trait. The one that has made her so loved amongst readers. Her intellect. Not since Sherlock Holmes has there been a character so clever.
The real genius of Larsson’s work though, is that despite what Salander thinks of as her androgynous physique, she is not sexless. If anything Salander owns her femininity with a confidence that neither promotes or impedes her agenda.
And her agenda, whether it’s investigating a life as if peeling layers of an onion away, tracking down a killer or putting an end to her father, is first and foremost, like any of the best literary detectives. The goal is the important thing, all else is secondary, even when you’re being buried alive. That level of intense determination is often left for a male character. That’s where Larsson really pleased his readers, and future moviegoers. Not only did he give this often perceived male characteristic to his heroine, but he made no mention of it being exceptional.
Salander is simply a clever, tough woman in search of justice. There are no apologies or explanations given for the attributes that make up Lisbeth Salander, because none are needed. She is simply who she is, like all women.
defydemure 