All About Eli

[jetboy]

I agree about Eli being nonsexual but not Oskar necessarily and I say that because of the scar scene. When Eli was changing into Oskar's mother's dress, he peeks, obviously to see Eli nude and therefore having some kind of sexual curiosity. What he saw confused me for awhile and I, like others, mostly on IMDB, thought it was a wasted shot trying to placate the original book. However on later thought, it kind of says the same thing in that showing Eli's mutilated sexual organ means its not about sex, its about curing loneliness. Eli, though stuck at twelve, has always seemed infinitely more wiser than, not only Oskar, but humans in general.

[dongregg]

I agree about Eli being nonsexual but not Oskar necessarily and I say that because of the scar scene. When Eli was changing into Oskar's mother's dress, he peeks, obviously to see Eli nude and therefore having some kind of sexual curiosity. What he saw confused me for awhile and I, like others, mostly on IMDB, thought it was a wasted shot trying to placate the original book. However on later thought, it kind of says the same thing in that showing Eli's mutilated sexual organ means its not about sex, its about curing loneliness. Eli, though stuck at twelve, has always seemed infinitely more wiser than, not only Oskar, but humans in general.

Yeah, and not just the scar scene. He slyly peeks when Eli says "titta inte" and "blunda" when she is taking off her bloody clothes before getting into the bed with him. Though he is still prepubescent, he has ideas. Just doesn't know quite what to do about the ideas. When Eli agrees to go steady, he's more like, "Well, that's settled." Instead of turning to her, he drifts off into the untroubled sleep of a child.

[mackousko]

I would dare to say that Eli never chose to be a boy or a girl, his guardians chose for him. If Eli's gender identety was of a girl, he would most likely say that he was more of a girl than a bout, but instead he states to be neither.

Yeah, in the movie, Eli just says, "Oskar...I am not a girl." I think Eli at least thinks of herself as having been a (prepubescent) boy before being castrated and emasculated. But maybe now she just thinks of herself as a vampire, or maybe just as Eli. Still, gender is fluid, whereas sex is biological. Over the years, I've known plenty of gay men who refer to their more effeminate gay friends as "she," and who do so naturally, without making a big deal about it. If Eli wants to dress like a girl (and be portrayed on screen by Lina Leandersson!), I feel okay about calling her her. It doesn't make me lose sight of the fact that she is first of all a very old 12-year-old vampire and that the feelings she expresses for Oskar are pretty much nonsexual. The extent that the two of them act like boy-girl (he buys her candy) in a budding romance doesn't seem any different to me than if two young boys or two young girls were romantically attracted.

Long way around to say that I'm comfortable thinking of Eli as a girl, even though I know that she is a being of indeterminate gender who has been that way for a very long time.

I see it so that that in Eli´s case the infection plays an important role. Who can say what instincts are ELI´s own and what are part of a Vampire. Eli´s gender is foremost Vampire. A creature that is naturaly atractive seductive for everyone. He is "attractive" even when he doesn't want to. Despite the hygiene. A 12 years old kid just can´t do so consciously in such sofisticated way. Whats important. Eli doesn´t use this instinct to make new friends. He use it to become an more effective killer.