MAPACA

Mid-Atlantic Popular &
American Culture Association

There are many varied catalysts that can be attributed to the rise of the #MeToo movement. However, one possibility that does not normally find itself in that list is Scandinavian Noir. In 2008, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo was published in English and took the English-speaking literary world by storm. The novel was originally published in Sweden in 2005 with the title Män som hatar kvinnor, which translates to “Men Who Hate Women.” A Swedish film with the same title followed in 2009 and an American film in 2011. For much of America, this was their introduction to Scandinavian Noir and to the character of Lisbeth Salander. The plot of this story revolves around men who treat women badly—very badly. Lisbeth Salander becomes the example that stands for the whole as we see her story unfold. Her mistreatment at the hands of a more powerful man—that culminates in a horrific rape—has no judicial recourse, so she takes justice into her own hands. The original source material of the book, the Swedish film, and the American film, all written or directed by men, show women who have no hope of official retribution or even prevention of abuse. With no optimistic expectations from a system that often fails them and a public that dismisses them, we see in fiction vigilante justice served by women in unconventional, albeit violent, ways. I’d like to explore how this story—especially its sleek American film that infiltrated the mainstream with high box office sales and critical regard (including an Oscar nomination for actress Rooney Mara)—serves as a backdrop to an American society that nurtured and supported the #MeToo and #TimesUp movements as well as how fiction responds to the age-old disparity between violent men and the women whom they violate.