On Violence...

Following the screening of the Swedish version of The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo (or Men Who Hate Women, which I actually think is a much better title), the question I want to raise again, is:  

Why do we keep telling women it is not okay to use violence even as they are faced with some of the most unimaginable violence? 

I have some thoughts on this I will post when I've had a chance to formulate them in more detail, but I'd love to hear what you think!

TODAY: Film Screening and Panel

 The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo (Swedish version - 2009)


Date: Tuesday, February 28, 2012

Time: 6:00 PM

Location: Maraschi Room, Fromm Hall

FREE and Open to the USF community

Co-hosted by the 
Women and Violence Research Group 
and the 
Gender and Sexualities Center

Feminism, violence, and Lisbeth

Thank you, Megan, for posting notes from our meeting, and Debbie, for finding information on Salandar and Pippi Longstocking. I second Annick’s thought that she would have envisioned a very different grown up Pippi than Lisbeth, but the links are intriguing.

In reference to our discussion about feminism, the passage quoted below comes from Melissa Silverstein, founder of the blog, Women and Hollywood :

“The fascination with Lisbeth crosses genders, which is one reason why the film can be a commercial success. Specifically, though, the character has become a kind of women's obsession, especially for feminists who either reject or embrace her. Many people, myself included, believe that Lisbeth is a feminist character (interestingly created by a man, clearly sprinkled with a little fairy dust by his partner of thirty years, Eva Gabrielsson, as she revealed in her recent interviews). Lisbeth is like an avenging angel for all women who have been wronged by society. How can a feminist not fall in love with a guy who has the guts to create a character that has been so screwed by the system yet retains the strength to come back and get revenge on the people who have done her wrong? On the other side of the argument are others who are adamant that a man could never have created Lisbeth and her story because they are both too feminist. Still others also believe that Lisbeth is a victim, and are very angry and disturbed by the violence depicted against women—particularly in the first novel and film (titled Men Who Hate Women in their native Sweden). True, the violence is disturbing and hard to watch. But it doesn't mean that it isn't feminist.

The debate about Lisbeth, the book, the films, and their relationship to feminism is one of the most exciting things about the upcoming film. 2010 might go down as the year when America -- both men and women -- became obsessed with books with a new feminist icon, but 2011 could go down as the year when Hollywood somehow releases a feminist film that becomes a big mainstream hit. Bring it on.” [Read more here]

Above, Silverstein mentions a few of the reactions to The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by feminists that are worthy to note:

1. Lisbeth, as a feminist character, is an avenging angel;
2. Lisbeth could not have been created by a man because she is too feminist;
3. Lisbeth as victim of brutal, explicit (and unnecessary?) violence.

Silverstein clearly favors the first opinion. I find myself tending to dismiss the second opinion (why couldn’t a man create a feminist character?). But surely this list limits both feminist responses to this work (both novel and film) as well as the variations of character embodiment.

What I’m curious about is the section of the passage I put in bold. Should feminists rejoice with this character of Lisbeth? Should we be thrilled about the representation of a women who takes revenge on those who have harmed her, who cares little about societal rules and regulations? I’m pulled in different directions here.

I agree with some points made in the article “Rape and Regret: Construction and Reconstruction of the Molested Girl in Popular Culture,” in which Kim Idol articulates the very problematic representation of molested young girls as both cause and effect of certain violent societal behaviors [the article is posted on the Women and Violence Research Group's Blackboard site]. There is a specific passage from this article, beginning on the first full paragraph on page 44, which extends to 45 (spoiler alert: stop at the quote on page 45 if you don’t want to read about events in the later books) that has some convincing analysis on Lisbeth’s experiences and behaviors, which reveal just how strong she is.

Any comments?

Notes from our 2.7.12 Book Club Meeting. . .

- The group would like to continue the book club with reading “The Girl Who Played With Fire” next.

-The film screening of the Swedish version will be screened on 2/28 at 6pm in Mariaschi. Followed by a discussion lead by USF faculty. All are welcome!

-Is the violence gratuitous? The theme of retribution is in question. What is just and fair? Lisbeth agreed to hide the evidence and make a financial donation instead of going to the police.

-Is this really a feminist text? In the end Salander didn’t end up with Blomkvist. Lisbeth is functioning on “getting through” not a place of social empowerment. What are Lisbeth’s motivations?

-One member researched more about Larsson which brings up the question on how Larsson’s life experience lead him to an anti-violence stance? What is the connection between anti-facism and feminism for Larsson?

-If a female author had written the book how would the reader’s experience been different? Discussion ensued about whether the male author makes the text feel voyeuristic. How would it be different if a male had been sexually assaulted in the book?

- Does the graphic nature of the book contribute to the success of the book? Does it minimize the violence?

-Why does Martin continue the cycle of assault and not Harriet? The cycle of violence is depicted here. Lisbeth frequently has “feminist moments” where she notes that violence is not okay.

- How do we reconcile Henrik Vanger’s inability to see what was happening to Harriett? Perhaps he was so close to the problem he could not see it.

-Let’s look at the role of 1) parents and 2) religion. A parallel can be drawn between Henrik and Harriett’s relationship and Blomkvist and his daughter. Religion has an unbalanced theme in the book. Blomkvist had the realization that he should be more involved with his daughter and she is vulnerable. How does the role of mothers in the book show the patriarchal nature of the book?

Next meetings (Megan will organize dates):

*Meet week after 2/28 movie screening to discuss movie vs. book
* Meet after spring break to go over the first 100 pages of “The Girl Who Played With Fire.”
*Meet late April for final discussion of “The Girl Who Played With Fire.”

Please contribute to this blog with your thoughts and reactions!

Lisbeth and Pippi

(This is Debbie writing. I have an old Blogger account with a non-USF gmail address so I'm Lil on this blog. Blame it on Google.)

I was just poking around to see if I could find any articles that linked Lisbeth Salander and Pippi Longstocking, and came across a couple of short, interesting pieces.

Pat Ryan in the New York Times pointed out that both characters share "singular beginnings, odd looks, and awesome skills".

I also came across a blog entry by Dorte Jakobsen, an English teacher in Denmark who reviews crime fiction and observed some
Longstocking/Salander parallels:

Just like Mikael Blomkvist, Salander thoroughly dislikes being compared to a hero from a children´s book. "He [Mikael Blomkvist] hates the nickname as anyone can understand. Someone would get a black eye if I were called Pippi Longstocking on a contents bill." (Mikael Blomkvist is teased with the nickname Kalle Blomkvist. It turns out Kalle Blomkvist is a boy detective character in three books by Astrid Lindgren, the creator of Pippi Longstocking.)

Lisbeth Salander... could easily pass for a teenage girl. Perhaps not quite like Pippi with her overlarge boots and red plaits sticking out at right angles, but certainly a conspicuous person.
...

Pippi lives on her own in a huge, ramshackle house together with her monkey, Mr Nilsson, and her horse, called Horse. We do not hear of Lisbeth Salander´s father in the first volume either, and her mother lives in a nursing home, so for all practical purposes she is also quite alone in the world.

Another essential point is their attitude to authorities.

Larsson told his publisher “My point of departure was what Pippi Longstocking would be like as an adult. Would she be called a sociopath because she looked upon society in a different way and has no social competence?” It fascinates me that a children's book character had such a hold on an adult, childless man that he modelled his own creation on her.

A Feminist Text?

Hello Everyone,

In anticipation of our final discussion on The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, I'd like to post a few questions that I have been thinking about:

1) Is The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo a feminist text?

2) Is the representation of violence in this novel gratuitous, or does it create an awareness of violence against women that may lead to social engagement?

3) Lisbeth Salandar has no qualms about using violence herself to "teach lessons." Is this acceptable? Understandable? Or, just a reinforcement of the biblical "eye for an eye" message?