THE DANISH GIRL
David Ebershoff
Viking Press 2000
In the year 1930, approximately 20 years
B.C. (Before Christine), a most historic event occurred in Dresden, Germany.
The first human sexual reassignment surgery was successfully performed
on a man from Copenhagen, Denmark named Einar Wegener. The surgery
received almost as much attention in the Danish press as Christine Jorgenson
evoked in the U.S. with her transformation. The events of that time were
chronicled by the first MTF TS, Lili Elbe, in an autobiographical
work, called "Man into Woman" published posthumously. From that book,
the author has reconstructed a fictional tale of the love and attachment
of Einar and his wife Greta over the six years preceding and including
the surgeries. This is a story of enduring love and devotion in a most
remarkable marriage for the Twenties.
Einar Wegener was an accomplished artist, who was employed at
the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Copenhagen, when he met his student Greta
Waud, an American expatriate. Greta came from a moneyed family in Pasadena
and is described as an independent, larger than life, blond of Danish stock
with a tough Western spine. Einar on the other hand is described as a shy,
slight, pale, talented painter, who could easily pass with his small stature.
In the opening chapter we find Greta painting a commissioned portrait of
an opera diva, Anna, who cannot appear for her sitting. Unwittingly
she asks Einar if he would put on Anna's silk dress, stockings and shoes
so that she may finish the details of the hem and stockings. Reluctantly
Einar acquiesces and realizes that he likes the feelings which overcome
him immensely. "The dress was loose everywhere except in the sleeves,
and he felt warm and submerged as if dipping into a summer sea." And so
Lili is born as Greta so names her.
With detailed descriptions of life in Copenhagen and Greta's previous
marriage to Teddy, who died of consumption, we learn of the reverence Greta
has for Einar and her present marriage. But Lili keeps emerging encouraged
by Greta who loves to paint her. Greta encourages Lili to find clothes
which will help her pass in Danish social circles. This is easily accomplished
as she is introduced as Einar's cousin from Jutland.
Eventually she meets Henrik, her first heart throb. For some
reason Einar and Lili are disassociated personalities never acknowledging
the other. Now Einar reveals his childhood and his passion for Hans,
a boyhood friend. So Greta, the facilitator, finds Hans and encourages
him to come from Paris, where he is an art dealer. Greta has been
selling her paintings of Lili and you would think she had an ulterior motive
bringing Hans into the picture, but she keeps professing her love for Einar.
Her painting career has now eclipsed Einar's and they eventually move to
Paris to further her career. Greta is the hit of Paris art circles and
her paintings of Lili may be responsible for the thin, small busted Flapper
look of the Twenties. At this point Einar is trying to resolve
his conflicting personalities and Greta takes him to an X-ray specialist,
who finds nothing wrong and her brother, Carlisle takes Einar to
an American Doctor in Paris, who suggests a frontal lobotomy. Einar
at this point believes himself truly to be a woman in a man's body.
Greta believing this to be true seeks out, on her own, a Dr. Bolk,
who runs the Women's Municipal Clinic in Dresden. Bolk claims that
he has seen a similar case in Germany. He has some understanding
of the possibility of hermaphrodism and feels he can help Einar become
the woman he desires.
Fortunately Einar makes the right decision with Greta's help
and goes to Dresden, where he enters the clinic as the "Danish Girl".
There she adopts the name Lili Elbe while looking out the window at the
River Elbe. Einar's health had been deteriorating due to intermittent menstrual
flows and nose bleeds. With Dr. Bolk's help she undergoes castration, labial
reconstruction and abdominal exploration which reveals under developed
ovaries, confirming his intersex. Her second operation consists of ovarian
transplantation and grafting from a girl dying of an abdominal tumor.
This appears to work after spending three months in the clinic, but there
is continuous pain requiring cocaine and morphine at home. A year goes
by and Greta realizes that she is about to be widowed a second time when
Lili accepts a proposal of marriage from Henrik, who is leaving for America.
The King grants a divorce and a legal name change, but will not declare
Einar dead. Greta finally accepts Hans's proposal which she has resisted
for many years, while married to Einar.
Lili returns for a third surgery which in this story is purportedly
uterine transplantation, but this fails with early tissue rejection. Supposedly
Lili lived another year and one-half after her last surgery without reaching
Henrik in America.
Now, realizing that this is complete fiction I must read the true story as told by Lili in order to understand her mental state. What is most riveting in this story besides the plot, are the sights and sounds of the Danish seaport and the living conditions of the times described poetically by this first time author. I would highly recommend this to anyone who would like to understand the perserverance of these two people who followed their dreams to a successful conclusion. Luv Ya, Cerise