53 pages • 1 hour read
Charlotte Perkins GilmanHerland
Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 1915A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Themes
Patriarchal Gender Distinctions
Patriarchal gender distinctions appear to highlight that gendered behaviors are learned from the environment. Each male character carries different assumptions about what Herland will be like, and each of their perspectives is based on cultural distinctions between men and women. Jeff, who views women as above men and worthy of service and protection, imagines an idyllic society. Although his assumptions are close to reality, he is uncomfortable with the women’s insistence on performing physical labor because he thinks they deserve an easier life. Van’s approach represents flawed real-world science that was impacted by confirmation bias; scientists at the time used biased science to support the notion that women were intellectually and physically inferior to men. Terry holds the most degrading assumptions, as he sexualizes all women: “Terry, with his clear decided practical theories that there were two kinds of women—those he wanted and those he didn’t; Desirable and Undesirable was his demarcation” (19). As such, he assumes Herland will be primitive because, outside of sexual value, women are, to him, incapable of innovation or cooperation.
The Herlanders do not meet the men’s patriarchal expectations. The men view the Herland women as unfeminine, which is symbolized in their short hair and practical clothing. As part of Van’s character arc, he realizes that femininity and masculinity are cultural concepts, and he writes: “This led me very promptly to the conviction that those ‘feminine charms’ we are so fond of are not feminine at all, but mere reflected masculinity—developed to please us because they had to please us, and in no way essential to the real fulfillment of their great process” (45). What the men consider feminine is created by the oppressive patriarchy, and without the patriarchy, the primary traits of women, as expressed through the Herlanders, are their intelligence, patience, and efficiency, and their values become centered on connectedness—motherhood and sisterhood before the men arrive, and brotherhood and fatherhood after.
Jeff recognizes early on that the women in Herland treat the men like people rather than men, and Somel later compliments Van for treating the Herlanders as people rather than as women, which Jeff and Terry fail to do. These comments, as well as the other factors that influence patriarchal gender distinctions, are meant to criticize anti-feminist narratives, which, at the time, claimed women were too weak to enter the work force and too emotional and unintellectual to effectively participate in politics. Stereotypical femininity, whether it relates to appearance or intellect, is created by the patriarchy, and since the traits are caused by social conditions, they can be changed by providing women with equal social, political, and economic opportunities.
A Society Founded on Motherhood
The Herland society, which is rooted in motherhood, is designed to contrast with the patriarchal US, with Herland representing collectivism and progression and the US representing individualism and tradition. Motherhood in Herland transcends the personal relationship between a mother and child. The first parthenogenetic birth was the catalyst for motherhood as a way of life, as it gave the secluded civilization hope for a future: "They began at once to plan and built for their children, all the strength and intelligence of the whole of them devoted to that once thing” (45). Every aspect of society is designed with the future in mind. The agricultural system provides plentiful food, nourishes the soil, and utilizes waste products that might otherwise harm the environment. The language has been adapted to be easy to learn and use, and the educational system, which undergoes constant improvement, is crafted to both teach and entertain infants and children. Zava explains: “The children in this country are the one center and focus of all our thoughts. Every step of our advance is always considered in its effect on them—on the race. You see, we are MOTHERS” (50). Given that the society is based entirely on motherhood, everyone is considered a mother despite whether they have directly procreated.
A society founded on motherhood is intended to satirize individualism and tradition that are valued in US culture. Van, Jeff, and Terry reveal various aspects of US society that contrast with Herland’s principles of motherhood, including abortion, the dull and inefficient education system, and a strong respect for tradition. It is also addressed in the discussion on punishment, where Van is surprised to hear that children are not punished for misbehavior. Once he grasps the Herlanders’ concept of societal motherhood, he recognizes the deficiencies in the US. He writes, “You see, they were Mothers, not in our sense of helpless involuntary fecundity, forced to fill and overfill the land, every land, and then see their children suffer, sin, and die, fighting horrible with one another, but in the sense of Conscious Makers of People” (51). In these details, Gilman targets the idea that the patriarchy disregards not only mothers but also children, instead favoring the traditional individualism that allows them freedom and control over society and which result in social deficits. Her message becomes the idea that valuing motherhood, and with it, children, collectivism, and progression, society would improve.
Prioritizing Education and Efficiency
Prioritizing education and efficiency is presented through the setting development and is closely tied to Patriarchal Gender Distinctions and A Society Founded on Motherhood. The theme is first introduced through the men’s assumptions that women cannot effectively manage a civilization because of their seemingly intrinsic feminine qualities. Through the setting development, Gilman imparts the message that women are intelligent and efficient. This is portrayed through their thoughtful and efficient social institutions, including their agricultural system, their domestic animal populations, their justice system, and their educational system. They take a holistic approach, which improves their efficiency, as seen in the relationship between agriculture, industry, and waste management. They also plan for the future: “[T]heir time-sense was not limited to the hopes and ambitions of an individual like […] they carried out plans for improvement which might cover centuries” (59). These elements are satirical and imply that the social organization in the US is inefficient and short-sighted, largely because it is patriarchal.
Education is emphasized as an important feature in Herland society. The education process begins during infancy and extends throughout a person’s life. The education process is highly systematized, which increases its efficiency. Infants are raised in warm climates and exposed to a variety of experiences and challenges, and children are surrounded by specialized teachers and provided with agreeable learning experiences so that they enjoy rather than resent their education. This also prevents misbehavior, as the children are happily occupied. These depictions of early childhood education satirize the US schooling system:
Then I thought, as in truth I never had thought before, of the dull, bored children I had seen, whining; ‘What can I do now?’; of the little groups and gangs hanging about; of the value of some one strong spirit who possessed initiative and would ‘start something’; of the children’s parties and the onerous duties of the older people set to ‘amuse the children’; also of that troubled ocean of misdirected activity we call ‘mischief,’ the foolish, destructive, sometimes evil things done by unoccupied children (79).
The positive relationship between Herlanders and education continues into adulthood. General information, including the information Van, Terry, and Jeff provide, is shared throughout the population. While most citizens specialize in one area of expertise, they prioritize continued learning and a basic understanding of everything: “When one settles too close in one kind of work there is a tendency to atrophy in the disused portions of the brain. We like to keep learning, always” (78). The childhood education system effectively teaches children while instilling a life-long appreciation of learning, and the continued adult education keeps the citizens well-informed and mentally sharp, so they can ensure society runs efficiently. As with childhood learning, Gilman’s intent is that Herland should be compared with the real world. In doing so, she stresses the importance of education at all levels and emphasizes the connection between education and efficiency.
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By Charlotte Perkins Gilman
