Why does Eli dress like a girl?

[ltroifanatic]

Even when Oskar knows that Eli is a boy, he still dresses like a girl . Why is that? ..Hormonal imbalance at being castrated so young? . . or a survival strategy (easier to attract prey?) or easier to hide maybe ?.. or maybe just likes being a girl? .. I'm sure someone has asked this already but I can't find the thread.. Thanks for you patience.

[dongregg]

My take on it is only one of many. Find it at http://let-the-right-one-in.com/fancont ... n-i-am-you

"Too pretty to be a boy." Eli remembers why the phrase puts her in a dark mood. She remembers that her family—and others—said it a lot when she was a boy. The phrase brings back memories that are best forgotten, memories of the powerful grownup who took away her gender and infected her with his curse. Best forgotten, because the memories cause her anger and resentment toward grownups to flare up.

But once she became neither a boy nor a girl, lacking the reproductive capability of either gender, she got used to presenting herself as a girl—as Eli, which worked better than Elias. That way, she could present herself as a normal-sized girl rather than as a pretty, undersized boy.

[metoo]

Even when Oskar knows that Eli is a boy, he still dresses like a girl. Why is that?

In the movie Eli does wear rather feminine attire much of the time. However, this is the novel department, and in the latter Eli does not dress like a girl. He does wear a thin, pink sweater when Oskar first meets him, and you might argue that pink is girlish. Although this is not mentioned, Eli likely also wears trousers and shoes - if not, Oskar would have noticed. The latter most likely were not spectacular in any way, since it would have been mentioned if otherwise. Anyway, Eli wears the same pink sweater for several days, which Oskar does notice as strange.

Eli's next outfit consists of trainers, blue jeans, and a black college sweater with "Star Wars" printed onto it in silver.

The third time the novel talks about Eli's clothes is when he enters Oskar's bed naked, but being naked is not especially girlish, I would say.

The fourth version of Eli's novel wardrobe consists of a much too large checkered shirt. Not particularly girlish, I think. Again, he probably has shoes and trousers on as well, but those are not mentioned.

The fifth time Eli's clothes are mentioned is when he talks with Maud Carlberg in the hospital reception. Then he is wearing a black, knitted sweater. Probably trousers as well, but no shoes this time. Anyway, a black, knitted sweater isn't particularly girlish, and neither is walking bare foot in winter.

Then we meet Eli in his apartment, when Oskar comes to visit. Eli is wearing a read t-shirt with an Iron Maiden print. No trousers, but the edge of white underpants is visible below the t-shirt. The underpants are described as "trosor" in my Swedish edition, i.e. they are female, so you might argue that Eli does dress like a girl this time, at least partly. Later that night Eli changes into the much too large checkered shirt. Still no trousers, apparently. And still not very girlish, save the underpants.

When Eli comes to visit Oskar in his apartment, he is wearing the oversize checkered shirt. Again, he likely also wears trousers, but those are not mentioned.

Later, after having showered, Eli exits the bath room with a towel around his hips, like a boy would. But in the next instance he chooses Oskar's mother's worn dress. Is that girlish? Nah, the dress was much too large, didn't fit Eli at all. To choose that dress was weird, rather than a sign of him wanting to dress like a girl. Furthermore, Eli explained his choice of the dress as that it "looked the most worn". Personally, I would rather take Eli's words on this issue, before interpreting his choice as proof that he prefers to dress like a girl.

Eli still wore the dress when he bought blood from Tommy, and later, when he encountered zombie Håkan.

What Eli wore when he kissed Oskar farewell under the balcony isn't mentioned. Neither is it mentioned what he wore when he returned to the bath house, but in the latter case he would at least have been bare chested, since he came flying.

All in all, I would say that novel Eli dressed weirdly rather than gender specific, be it girlish or boyish.

[intrige]

THIS!

I always found Eli's clothing in the book to be androgynous, just like Eli himself. Movie Eli with the feminine Lina dressed more girlish.

[EEA]

I don't know if Eli is aware or if she cares what she wears. Maybe only because she has to in order to blend in. Is not an important topic to me since in the novel there isn't anything to suggest that Eli is worried or concern about what she wears.

[ltroifanatic]

Thank you all for your input . I think I should have posted in the movie section .Silly me. I'm starting to mix the movie and novel up. Seeing things in the movie that aren't there but are in the novel and vice versa. Thanks for making it clearer.

[gkmoberg1]

I gather from prompts in the novel that Eli aquires clothes through whatever means are available. If something discarded in the rubbish fits him, he takes it. The Iron Maiden t-shirt is a good example. Probably the 'Star Wars' sweatshirt. The large checkered shirt I've always imagined as being something of Håkan's.

Yes, film Eli is clearly feminine. Stylish too, as discovered once some of the film's costumes were purchased by members here and the pictures put online for us to see her wardrobe up close.

[Jameron]

I gather from prompts in the novel that Eli aquires clothes through whatever means are available. If something discarded in the rubbish fits him, he takes it. The Iron Maiden t-shirt is a good example. Probably the 'Star Wars' sweatshirt. The large checkered shirt I've always imagined as being something of Håkan's.

I agree, it is not like Eli has a lot of choice, he can hardly wander down to the high street and pick out some nice threads. Not that he would know what is considered "nice", given his limited social contact.

This idea was carried forward in the film, Eli can be seen wearing Håkan's red turtleneck...




It could have been worse, Håkan might have been given the job of buying Eli's clothes. Eli could have ended up wearing this...

[metoo]

[...] Eli aquires clothes through whatever means are available. [...]

And not only clothes. Apparently Eli usually acquires whatever he needs/wants by just taking it (Håkan speaking):

"Vadå 'lånat'? Du lånar väl aldring nånting."
"'Borrowed', you say? You never borrow anything." My translation.

[JToede]

[...] Eli aquires clothes through whatever means are available. [...]

And not only clothes. Apparently Eli usually acquires whatever he needs/wants by just taking it (Håkan speaking):

"Vadå 'lånat'? Du lånar väl aldring nånting."
"'Borrowed', you say? You never borrow anything." My translation.

You could say expropriate, annex or relocates items in question.