The Danish Girl is your average everyday boy-meets-girl, boy-becomes-girl, girl-meets-boy story. Okay, someday that will be a more average story as trans people gain more acceptance and visibility in society, but The Danish Girl will never be an average story because Lili Elbe was the very first person to undergo male-to-female sex reassignment surgery. Yeah, she's kind of a big deal. They didn't even have words to describe it then, which is why we have a whole book explaining what her process was like.
Questions About Gender
- How do Einar and Lili conform to the gender norms of the time period? How do they defy them?
- Does Greta fall into a traditionally female gender role? Or is she a blend of male and female herself?
- What kinds of reactions do Einar/Lili receive when they talk about their gender? Do you think these reactions are realistic? Would people react the same today or differently?