Outside Reading: Herland #3

     The last three chapters of Herland (about three-fourths through the book now) have definitely become more interesting and have picked up in terms of plot where the three chapters prior seemed to be lacking. During this reading, the author transitioned from a very obvious feminist message to a message much more subtle, reasonable, and relatable, which I found to be a relief. In terms of connections with other time periods, they remained generally the same as before. Exchange of information continues between the women of Herland and the men, and a fair amount of intelligence is demonstrated on both sides, connecting once again with Rationalism. With Romanticism, Gilman has added to her motherhood affection a more truly romantic affection between the protagonist, Van, and one of the young women of Herland which Van and his friends met in the beginning, Ellador. This relationship becomes very interesting as the story progresses, but I'll get to that later. In terms of Puritanism, you see the desire for a utopia now more on the men's side, whereas before it seemed to be more of a focus for the woman of Herland.
     Once again, Gilman has demonstrated strong characteristics of Realism in the past three chapters with her focus on society. However, whereas in the last reading she seemed to be focusing on general characteristics of Herland which made it a superior society to America, she now chooses to put a stronger emphasis on the concept of motherhood to which the women of Herland attribute their success. Though she mentioned this in the chapters before, the concept is truly brought to light in this part of the book. The importance and apparent success of motherhood in their society can be seen when Gilman writes, "All the surrendering devotion our women have put into their private families, these women put into their country and race. All the loyalty and service men expect of wives, they gave, not singly to men, but collectively to one another" (81). Here, when considering just how perfect and utopian the society of Herland is, Gilman sends a powerful message of not only of the potential of the womanly power of motherhood on society but also the potential of the dedication women have (in this case towards to things like husbands) when applied to other members of society for mutual benefit. Going back to the subject of the romantic relationship with Van and Ellador, an interesting point is made in this situation concerning a clashing of cultures. This clash can be seen when Gilman writes of their inherent societal differences: "Visibly we were not mothers, nor children, nor compatriots; so, if they loved us, we must be friends" (82). In this Gilman demonstrates the difference between the kind of romantic love between man and woman which American society is so familiar with and the motherly and sisterly love which is the only thing that the woman of Herland know. In addition to questioning the morality of altering another's way of life with this issue in mind later in the book, this helps to create a slightly more interesting plot. Finally, some form of conflict in the story surfaces again.
     Concerning my American Literature definition, similar ideas of the American dream can be seen in this reading as with the last reading. Van gets more information on how Herland was able to become so successful of a society through their emphasis on properly raising their children, and some comparison is made between the successes of Herland and the downfalls of American society. Gilman seems to be making suggestions on how the education system, as well as the general way in which American children are raised, can be altered in order to achieve a more perfect society, which connects with aspects of the American Dream in that the author is seeking improvement of America's general well-being.
     I was able to make connections between Herland and Lorraine Hansberry's play "A Raisin in the Sun" once again in this reading. This time, however, it connected with Gilman's subject of motherhood. Similarly to how Gilman puts emphasis on the importance and influence of motherhood in her book, Mama (or Lena) in "A Raisin in the Sun" acts as a prominent mother figure to virtually all other characters of the play, and plays an important role in how the characters solve their moral dilemmas as well as in how they make decisions. With both of these aspects of the book concerning the manner in which the children were raised, a clear connection can be seen.
     As I approach the final chapters of the book, I'm interested to see how Van's adventure in Herland will come to an end. Gilman has already made clear that Van and the rest of the men return back to America at some point, and has also hinted that Ellador may accompany Van on this journey. This poses clear problems, however, and leaves much open for speculation. What will happen to Herland one they return? Will the male element be added back to their society after 2000 years of success with only women? More importantly, will the men make their discovery known to the rest of the world? The last question I doubt, as Gilman (from the perspective of Van) has resorted to secrecy as to the country's exact location on several occasions throughout the book. Nonetheless, I'm ready to find out how the story will reach its conclusion.