O Jornalista e a Jornada do Herói: análise da atuação do personagem Mikael Blomkvist no livro “Os homens que não amavam as mulheres”

Abstract

Appropriating the role of the mystery story detective, the investigative journalist appears in the fictional narratives as a righteous defender of society. Thematic of this research, the representations of the professional as characters are associated with stereotypes, such as exclusive dedication to the profession, family problems and cigarette addiction. Such ways of presenting the journalist contribute to the reinforcement and creation of a collective imagination about the profession, and may be in the form of criticism when the character assumes the villain or idealization figure when he is the heroic protagonist. For this reason, this research aims to discuss the connection between the investigative journalist's role in fiction and the hero archetype. For that, the object used is the character Mikael Blomkvist, from the book The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2005), by the Swedish writer Stieg Larsson, an investigative journalist who seeks to unravel a great mystery and fights unfavorable realities. In order to conceive if Mikael Blomkvist is characterized as a hero journalist, the analysis of character performance through his acting in the stages of the narrative pattern of the Hero's Journey, proposed by Joseph Campbell and updated by Christopher Vogler, is adopted as methodology. Finally, the character is analyzed based on the articulation of characteristics attributed to the hero archetype and stereotypes present in the representations of journalists-characters. Throughout the narrative of the book, it is noticeable a correspondence of the adventure of the journalist-character with the stages of the Hero's Journey. In his characterization, the journalist also demonstrates affinity with the archetype, whose role in the narrative is intrinsically linked to the character's activity as an investigative journalist.