The dragon on Lizbeth's shoulder is very rarely brought up in the book but it is a very powerful symbol for her in the story. Dragons are a symbol of wisdom, prosperity, sexuality, and heroism among many other things. Lizbeth's tattoo is as much a part of the story as she is. the tattoo represents her character's motives and characteristics. Its a symbol that I believe should be in the book more often than it is and is a key part of Lizbeth's character.