While I may not actually want to live in society of only women, there are still some aspects of Herland that I am totally on board with. Mostly, I love the power and independence that these women posses. The women in this society have the qualities that many women today are still striving for. However, I hate to think that this is only possible in a land without men. Gilman's intention is to show that her society does not allow women to reach their full potential, but I would like to believe that this can be changed without having to exclude men from the society. Although we have made a lot of progress since Gilman's time, we definitely still have a long way to go.
Another thing I really enjoyed in this book was the way in which Gilman exposes the ridiculous ideals in regards to gender relations in our society. When the men are made to explain many of the behaviors and customs in their society, you can clearly see them struggling to provide valid reasoning for it. And when they do provide reasoning, it almost always sounds absurd.
One quote that I find somewhat comical (from Terry of course):
The one thing I still can't get on board with is the sudden change of heart about the necessity of men in this society. At the beginning of the novel they are very clear that fathers are useless, but then by the end they suddenly believe that their society desperately needs the reintroduction of men. I feel like this change is in a sense admitting defeat, and invalidating any arguments made about the worth and potential of women.
Another thing I really enjoyed in this book was the way in which Gilman exposes the ridiculous ideals in regards to gender relations in our society. When the men are made to explain many of the behaviors and customs in their society, you can clearly see them struggling to provide valid reasoning for it. And when they do provide reasoning, it almost always sounds absurd.
One quote that I find somewhat comical (from Terry of course):
I actually laughed out loud when I read this line. The fact Terry said women are idolized and honored but also kept in the home makes no logical sense, and I love Gilman for pointing this out."We do not allow our women to work. Women are loved—idolized—honored—kept in the home to care for the children"
The one thing I still can't get on board with is the sudden change of heart about the necessity of men in this society. At the beginning of the novel they are very clear that fathers are useless, but then by the end they suddenly believe that their society desperately needs the reintroduction of men. I feel like this change is in a sense admitting defeat, and invalidating any arguments made about the worth and potential of women.
I feel like our class unanimously agreed with your dislike of the ending of Herland. It was frustrating as a reader to see a story build up this place where woman have evolved to be independent only to completely change their ideals with their marriages. I was glad that Dr. Kolmerton pointed out that Gilman is not a creative writer. This explained and slightly justified the ending for me. Although I still wish they just kicked the men out and went back to their way of life before they came.
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