HERLAND

The seminal (1915) feminist utopian novel, written in an attempt to transform the role of women in American life. In Herland, there have been no men for 2000 years, freeing women to develop a humane and independent civilization. Three men happen upon Herland. One is a relentless womanizer, one a romantic who idealizes women, the third--Vandyke, the narrator--a proto-feminist willing to entertain new and even radical ideas. Their experiences there, the difficulty of their re-education, the emotional ties that are forged, and Gilman's thoughts on the differences between men and women and the societies they would create, form the basis for this innovative and influential work. Issues of dress, work, child-raising, and recreation in Herland are set in satirical contrast to the restrictive, unfair, or just plain absurd practices of American society.