Herland Study Guide

Herland Plot Summary

Preview of Herland Summary:

Herland was initially published in serial form, in 1915, in Charlotte Perkins Gilman's monthly magazine, The Forerunner. Rescued from obscurity by Ann J. Lane, the story was published in book form for the first time in 1979. An introduction by Lane sets the tone for this feminist utopia created by Perkins Gilman. Herland tells the tale of three adventurers who stumble onto an isolated, all-female land. Determined to keep their discovery secret until they have conquered the undiscovered country, Vandyck Jennings, Terry Nicholson and Jeff Margrave plan an expedition to Herland.

Vandyck, a sociologist, who presents the group's findings in a scholarly fashion, tells the story. Vandyck's narrative places their discovery within the context of then-current sociological beliefs regarding female potential. In the Victorian era in which the story takes place, the male-dominated American society views women as subordinate beings, wholly lacking in the skills required to form a functional...
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