The uniqueness continues and I remain interested in Herland. The country was the size of Holland, 10-12,000 square miles with a population of about three million. These mothers figured out food supply, education, work assignments, and pretty much everything else to run a society in perfect harmony. According to Van, the narrator, the most impressive feature of Herland was the intelligence. Van wanted to find fault in all their perfection, but it was not possible.
Everything the men thought and expected was wrong. “We had expected a dull submissive monotony, and found a daring social inventiveness far beyond ours.” Instead of pettiness they found a social consciousness. Instead of jealousy they found a broad sisterly affection and a fair minded intelligence. And instead of hysteria they found a standard of health and vigor. I expected the same as the travelers. There has to be something wrong with these girls. They are not human. This book has become a fantasy.
The visitors are intrigued, but they are becoming impatient with their confinement. Terry is irritable. He thought he was going to be surrounded by beautiful and submissive women whom he could charm. Van and Jeff are more tolerant and interested in their history and culture. Each of the guys is “assigned” a teacher and then a “companion.” I don’t think the teaching is going to last much longer and I don’t think the relationships with the “companions” will be successful either. So how will this end? The reader knows from the beginning that the visitors return to the United States, but the story is not predictable.
No comments:
Post a Comment