Sociological Interpretation of “The Danish Girl”

This paper undertakes an analysis of the movie “The Danish Girl” on the basis of the concept of sociological imagination of Mills. The movie sheds light on the life of Lili Elbe and the gender transformation that she underwent in order to discover her true identity. The paper discusses the struggle of the protagonist to suppress his true feelings and fulfill the social expectations of his family and society. The paper concludes that the notions of social expectations, promise and social imagination are nothing more than façade which has been designed to maintain the status quo within the society.

Running head: SOCIOLOGICAL INTERPRETATION OF THE DANISH GIRL
Sociological Interpretation of “The Danish Girl”
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1SOCIOLOGICAL INTERPRETATION OF THE DANISH GIRL
The notion of “sociological imagination” has gained a substantial amount of
prominence within the cannon of the contemporary world and is being widely used for the
interpretation of novels, films and other similar works. The term “sociological imagination”
was first coined by American sociologist C. Wright Mills in his famous book “The
Sociological Imagination” (1959). The term as defined by Mills in his works refers to the
individual awareness of the human beings of the relationship that exists between their
personal lives and the society in which they dwell. In this regard, it needs to be said that the
external environment or the society in which an individual lives wields a significant amount
of influence on the personal or the private lives of the individuals. More importantly, it is
seen that the human beings often have a bottle-up existence in which they try to modify their
actions on the basis of the society in which they live. This paper will undertake an analysis of
the movie “The Danish Girl” on the basis of the concept of sociological imagination of Mills.
“The Danish Girl” (2015) directed by Tom Hooper sheds light on the life of Lili Elbe
and the gender transformation that she underwent in order to discover her true identity
(Imdb.com, 2018). The movie starred Eddie Redmayne, Alicia Vikander, Amber Heard and
others in the lead roles and had its setting in the native land of Demark. More importantly, the
movie tries to show the problems that the transgender people had to face in the society
because of the nature of their body (Imdb.com, 2018). However, the movie under discussion
here is a very different since it shows a Danish artist who although takes birth as a man yet in
the latter part of his life. For example, the movie shows him as the first individual who
underwent the sex change surgery in order to gain full identity as a female individual. In
addition to this, the reaction of the individuals when they come to know the fact that Einar
Wegener feels that he is a girl and also the manner in which they try to discourage regarding
the sec change surgery speaks volume regarding the manner in which societal element wields
an influence on the lives of the people (Imdb.com, 2018). However, the lines of the

2SOCIOLOGICAL INTERPRETATION OF THE DANISH GIRL
protagonist “This is not my body. I have to let it go” are important to note in this regard
(Imdb.com, 2018). The movie is a succinct manner also shows the social imagination as well
as the expectations of the society and also the manner in which it influences the lives of the
people.
The movie under discussion here when analyzed through the lens of Mills concept of
“promise of sociology and the relationship between the individual and society/social
structures” would reveal insightful information not only regarding the life of the protagonist
of the movie but also of the present society. The lives of the human beings are often
influenced by the private orbits of their lives and also the power that the family, friends and
other individuals related to their social circle wield on their lives. The life as well as the
struggle that the character Einar Wegener undergoes in the movie under discussion here
related to their gender identity is a similar kind of struggle. For example, keeping in mind the
social role that Wegener needs to perform within the social circle in which he dwells and also
the kind of social expectations that he needs to fulfill he tries to struggle with himself and
suppress his actual sexual identity. The lines of movie wherein he says, “Every morning I
promise myself that I’ll spend the entire day as a man. But I think Lili’s thoughts, I dream her
dreams. She’s always there” are important to note in this regard (Imdb.com, 2018). More
importantly, it is seen that throughout the movie he suppresses his desire to give vent to his
female self and it is only when he is alone that he dresses up a woman. This decision of
Wegener to suppress his true feelings creates various kinds of emotional and other kinds of
problems for him. The lines “Einar felt lonely, and he wondered if anybody in the world
would ever know him” are important to note in this regard (Imbd.com, 2018).
Wegener in order to fulfill that societal role even tries to consult a physician to
resolve his gender identity crisis although to no help. However, the physician rather than
helping him out in an effective manner just states that “The most likely explanation is

3SOCIOLOGICAL INTERPRETATION OF THE DANISH GIRL
chemical imbalance” (Imdb.com, 2018). It is pertinent to note that it is only after a prolonged
struggle with himself and his close family that he realizes that it is in vain that he is trying to
prolong the inevitable and accepts his actual gender identity. The net result of this is the fact
that towards the end of the movie he is seen to be undergoing the sex change surgery which
ultimately leads to his death. Thus, it can be said that the prolonged struggle which Wegener
undergoes to suppress his actual gender identity is a reflection of the struggle that the human
beings undergo on a daily basis to full the social expectations of the private social orbits of
their lives.
The life as well as the emotional torment that Wegener underwent through the entire
course of the movie when viewed through the lens of Mills’s notion of sociological
imagination would reveal the fallacy of the entire social system. More importantly, the movie
through the suffering as well as the emotional pain that Wegener underwent clearly reveals
the present social system to a mere façade. The individuals often try to live their lives trying
to fulfill the social promise or the expectations of their family members and also the society
in which they live. The lines of the movie “Last night I had the most beautiful dream. I
dreamed that I was a baby in my mother's arms. And she looked down at me, and she called
me Lili” not only reveal the ardent desire of Wegener to a girl but at the same time the extent
to which he had to suppress or control his emotions in order to fulfill the social expectations
of the people (Imdb.com, 2018). However, it is only towards the very end of the movie that
he realizes it is of no use to fulfill the expectations of the people who are a part of his life and
whatever action that he takes he would be criticized by them no matter how hard he tried.
Thus, he decides to listen to his heart and undergo the sexual transformation despite the
dangers that it posed to him. In this regard, it needs to be said that he preferred to die as Lili
rather than fulfill the social promise and lead a life Wegener.

4SOCIOLOGICAL INTERPRETATION OF THE DANISH GIRL
To conclude, society wields a prominent influence on the lives of the human beings
and it seen that the actions of the human beings are to a great extent influenced by the kind of
society in which they live. More importantly, the individuals are at the same time required to
fulfill the social expectations of not only their own family members, friends and others but
also of the immediate society in which they dwell. The movie “The Danish Girl” directed by
Tom Hooper is an important one since the movie clearly reveals the fact that the notions of
social expectations, promise and social imagination are nothing more than façade which has
been designed to maintain the status quo within the society.

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Reference
Imdb.com, (2018). The Danish Girl (2015). [online]. Retrieved from
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0810819/