Performing a Girl in The Danish Girl
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Abstract
This paper analyzes gender performativity in The Danish Girl by David Ebershoff (2000, 2005), emphasizing the potential for identity reconstruction through performance. The novel has been criticized for portraying transgender women conventionally, focusing on a rigid sexual binary, depicting surgery unethically, and ending inauthentically. Contrary to these criticisms, this paper argues that the novel subverts traditional narratives by depicting a transformative process. More specifically, by utilizing Judith Butler’s theory, the analysis shows how Lili’s expression of femininity challenges the initial schizophrenia diagnosis, revealing it as a misinterpretation of her gender fluidity. This paper also suggests that, despite criticisms, sex reassignment surgery and other technological interventions can provide transformative opportunities for gender performances that challenge entrenched heteronormative limits.
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