From Character to Character & Story to Story
Major narration, first with Blomvist and then Salander and the question becomes how to have the overlaps of the stories entwined in such a way that it is crafted seamlessly and effortlessly. Larsson considers both characters and so the inquiry is how to mesh the tales in order to show the plot-lines first as indivisible plots and then as overlapping.
The craft of transitions to clarify not confuse is effectively accomplished in this novel. Analyzing the language and the structure of the chapters supports the premise that Larsson is a master at transitions and storytelling.
The initial overlap is when Salander is asked to investigate Blomvist in the capacity of her employment with a security firm. She is interested in the dilemma of the inquiry and his recent conviction for slander and libel, necessitating incarceration, in addition to a hefty fine. Her investigation comes to a halt at the client’s request and concurrently, the client invites Blomvist to work for the Owner of a conglomerate with dual purposes. How does this assignment for Blomvist add depth to Salander’s story. The narration moves in a parallel way without the two characters meeting or having knowledge of each other. The transitions from his view to hers is planned to coincide with events that may or may not lead to the ‘ah ha moment’ of uncovering a murderer.
The narration switches from each of them, through the events, not particularly chapters as other writers may choose to format the story.
I think that the event-driven transitions and point of view change-ups is effective.
“The lawyer Frode from Hedestad had hired her to do an investigation of Mikael Blomkvist, the journalist who was given a prision sentence for libeling financier Hans-Eriuk Wennerstrom. A few months later, Henrik Vanger, also from Hedestad, joins Blomkvist’s magazine’s board of directors and claims that there is a conspiracy to crush the magazine. All this one the same day that the former goes to prison. Most fascinating of all: a two-year-old background article –‘With two empty hands’- about Hans-Erik Wennerstrom, which she found in the outline edition of Monopoly Financial Magazine. It seemed that he began his career in the very same Vanger Corporation in the late sixties. You didn’t have to be a rocket scientist to see that these events were somehow related. There had to be a skeleton in one of their cupboards, and Salander loved hunting skeletons. Besides, she had nothing else on at the moment.” Larsson p. 271.
The above quote refers to Salander’s perspective as Blomkvist presents himself at the prison for his sentence to begin.
Both prior and subsequent to his incarceration, events are dramatic and viewed by each according to their age, station and education, but very purposefully.
The stories do run concurrently after each is engaged in a path of discovery and prior to any firm conclusions as to the murder.
The transition between both lives and events is not a smooth pathway in terms of what is happening to each of them. It is smooth in regard to the language and structure of the narration.
Larsson pulls together clues for the murder simultaneously giving clues to the corporate corruption and Salander’s inquisitive mind and search for facts and inevitably truth.
Beyond chapter breaks, Larsson writes methodically to give each story a deeper texture and a clearer comprehension of the engagement of both stories. It is written like a film outline with the chapters and stories paced to keep the reader engaged and pursuing similar outcomes of the characters. Truffault, the French director, used this technique of overlapping and transitions in his film-noirs and this technique used by Larsson is reminiscent of that genre of film and perhaps writing, at least in screenwriting of the day. The technique enhances the plot development and enriches the narration. Larsson use of this literary craft is a successful one.
Works cited.
Larsson, Stieg: The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, Vintage Crime/Random House, NYC, NY, 2008. (translated by Reg Keeland)
Truffault, Francois: Day for Night (1973).
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