Restless Classics #: Herland

- Blurb -

A timely, overlooked classic of early twentieth century feminist literature, Charlotte Perkins Gilman' s provocative science fiction satire Herland imagines a thriving and equitable society completely devoid of men. When three male explorers stumble across an all-female society far from civilization, their disbelief is comically palpable. From agriculture to manufacturing to reproduction, the women in this utopia have achieved a fully "civilized" society without the presence or assistance of men, a feat that threatens the explorer' s sense of male superiority. As they integrate with the inhabitants of Herland, the explorers are forced to reckon with their ingrained entitlement, grapple with their flawed social ideals, and investigate their limited understanding of gender. Originally published in 1915, Herland reveals some of the pervading political, social, racial, and gender politics at the forefront of the early feminist movement. Written amid the popularization of Charles Darwin' s views on evolution, the development of the United States eugenics program, and the onslaught of World War I, Gilman' s novel is certainly a reflection of her time, but the utopia of Herland still raises urgent questions for the modern reader. How can a society be just if it is defined by the oppression or exclusion of others?