Herland Makes Me Uncomfortable

I'm going to come right out and say it. I think the society described Herland is pretty bogus. It probably sounds a little weird, coming from me. I can almost hear it now: “Dammit Laura, you're always complaining about female character portrayal. Now you're given an entire country of extremely capable females and you still aren't happy with it? Seriously, what on earth do you want?”

(Currently, I want to have started on this half of the semester's blogging much, much earlier and set of Crayola metallic glitter crayons. But both of those wishes are another story entirely.)

I'll try and make a few things clear before I say exactly what I mean. I'm not talking about the soft science present in Herland. If the author thinks that asexual reproduction can produce a huge amount of genetic variation, that's just fine. I'll go with it.

I'm not saying that women can't accomplish anything on their own. I firmly believe that the only thing a woman absolutely can't do (that a man can do) is naturally father a child. I believe the opposite is also true, and men are only limited to not bearing children. Sewing beautiful dresses, weightlifting, architecture, raising children, and pretty much everything else are things that I think any person can do. 

"Yes."

I am not at all skeptical of the abilities of the Herland women. They can build fortresses and cultivate plants and do science and all of that is just great. It's a very empowering viewpoint, especially for something written in the 18^th century. You go, Charlotte Perkins Gilman. You think all those good thoughts.

Except not all of Gilman's thoughts are good. There's a definite, uncomfortable vibe of “eugenics are totally awesome” winding throughout her book. There's the belief that any amount of bad impulses can just be “bred” out of a population, and then there's Vince, planning to exterminate the “savages” in the jungle if they can't be “civilized”. Vince, who is supposed to be the most logical and sympathetic of the group. Erk. This “perfect” society has been built out of some very ugly practices.

Then, we have the women of Herland themselves. They do not anger. They do not show disgust. They are endlessly patient. They are understanding. They are logical. They are unemotional. They feel little to no jealousy.

Not quite this bad. But I like to think it's close.

 They strive for the betterment of the community, not for themselves. They live for the children, not just for their own, but for everyone's children. And it's completely bogus. You can't breed out jealousy. I would understand if every woman of Herland was dealt the same lot in life. But there are Over Mothers, who are allowed to bear more children than everyone else. Nearly everyone wants to be a teacher, but most are not allowed the privilege.

Herland is a collectivist society without the conflict, and I don't think that's possible just by allowing the women with the most even tempers to have the most babies. Women feel just as much as men do. Their natures are no finer than that of men. Statistically, they are less driven to murder, and violent crime. But, the best of women breeding for sixty generations isn't going to suddenly give way to a group of people that are nearly free of all negative emotion. It makes for a good Utopia, where everyone is well cared for and content, but there's no way to actually get there. The existence of Herland isn't just based on good agricultural practices, mutual respect, and a collectivist outlook. It is built out of an impossible alteration of human nature. 

(Pictures taken from http://m3gan.edublogs.org and http://www.mazeoflove.com)