Herland (1915)

張貼日期：Sep 29, 2009 4:15:12 PM

Herland (1915)

by Charlotte Perkins Gilman

Recommended by Ms. Chia-Yin Huang

What would it be like to live in a society consisting of only women? This is “Her Land”—the land of women, a country where no man exists to dominate or oppress the female sex. Written by feminist Charlotte Perkins Gilman in 1915, the novel constitutes a criticism on warfare, injustice, inequalities, oppressions and other problems in modern society in which men continue to have the most power over politics, economy, and social order.

The story begins with three American explorers’ adventures to one of the few remaining uncharted areas of the world. They (Van, Terry, and Jeff) found a strange land, hidden high in the mountains and populated only by women. At first, all three men think they will find a society of chaos and disorder since they don’t believe that women are intelligent and organized, or capable of surviving without men.

However, when they entered to hidden country, they found a highly organized and advanced society, with cultivation of the forests and the great technological skills. The women in Herland are unlike any they have ever encountered: strong, self-confident, clearly intelligent, and obviously unafraid of men.

The men are captivated by the women but are treated well. They begin to teach three men their language, though not allowing them to roam freely. The men question their tutors about the history and organization of Herland. Nearly 2,000 years ago, a small group of women was left alone at the top of the hidden plateau after a sequence of wars, natural disasters, and internal strife. Under extreme circumstances, the women were forced to fend for themselves and organized their society through cooperation. After a time, a young girl miraculously became pregnant, and her descendants are the present inhabitants of Herland. Each pregnancy bring forth a female child, who also inherited the ability of solo reproduction. Over time, the women of Herland developed a peaceful, orderly, highly efficient society in which competition, crime, and antisocial behavior are unknown. Herland is an organic community that shares all property. The system of authority is based on experience and wisdom. The wellbeing and education of children are the highest priorities.

The three men take wives in Herland, but conflicts arise when the men demands sexual intercourse beyond the purpose of procreation. Jeff and Van overcome the difficulties, and Jess has a child with his wife. However, Terry attempts to rape his partner due to his overly dominant personality, which causes him to be banished. Van and his wife, Ellador, leave with Terry on their seaplane, because the vehicle needs two to operate, and because Ellador wants to evaluate the ‘modern world’ firsthand.

Charlotte Perkins Gilman (1860 –1935) was an American sociologist, novelist, and a lecturer for social reform. Her best known work is the short story “The Yellow Wallpaper.” Herland is the middle volume in Gilman's utopian trilogy; it was preceded by her Moving the Mountain (1911), and followed with a sequel, With Her in Ourland (1916).