Martin Vanger

An interesting twist on the story is the presence of Martin Vanger. At first, the Swedish man seems kind, and inviting as Blomkvist settles on the island. As Blomkvist and Salander get closer to finding out what has happened to Harriet, Blomkvist encounters a startling wake up call. As he is running in the woods a hunter "mistakes him" for an animal and opens fire. What we really come to find out is Martin Vanger was the one shooting and he wasn't hunting for animals. He was taking a shot at the one man that could reveal Martin's past. Martin was taught first hand from his father, Gottfried how to treat women. Between torment, rape, and murder, Martin learned it all. He tortured many women throughout his life and enjoyed his guilty pleasure. Martin lived his secretive life quietly in a basement equipped with torture cages and tools to cause anyone to face to death. Although Harriet was the only one that knew about her father and her brother's taunting actions, that was enough to have her run away for good.