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The Danish Girl Part 1, Chapter 1 Summary

How It All Goes Down

Copenhagen, 1925

  • Einar and Greta, husband and wife, are painting together in their Copenhagen apartment.
  • Greta paints portraits; Einar paints landscapes—mostly bogs. There are very few happy trees.
  • Greta's model—Anna, an opera singer—is unable to pose today, so Greta asks Einar to wear women's shoes and stockings so she can finish the portrait.
  • He resists as first but then he tries them on.
  • There, that wasn't so bad, was it?
  • Once he's in the shoes, Greta asks Einar to try on Anna's dress so she can paint the hem.
  • He slips it on, and Greta asks if he likes wearing it.
  • He does.
  • Greta hands him a bouquet of lilies and begins painting.
  • But Einar is embarrassed when Anna comes in and sees him in the dress.
  • The two women laugh, but then Greta says to Einar, "Why don't we call you Lili?" (1.67)