In The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, technology is an integral part in solving the novel's mysteries and exposing the criminals. In The Girl Who Played With Fire, not so much – here technology is simply part of the world the characters are living in. Even though Salander is hacking into the police computers on a daily basis, she and Blomkvist actually find Zala and solve the story's mysteries using good old-fashioned detective work – no fancy technology necessary. Technology, however, is an agent of justice in the novel. Blomkvist and Millennium rely on printing technology to expose injustices in society. Of course, these same technologies can be used for the bad, as we see in the media frenzy that assassinates the characters of Salander and Mimmi.
Questions About Technology and Modernization
- How do you feel about Salander's hacking?
- Are we correct in our statement that technology isn't that important to finding the solutions Salander and Blomkvist are looking for? Why, or why not?
- What is the most important technology in the novel?