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This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. What do the men have a hard time conveying their ideas about to the women they are courting?

2. In Herland, what is one of the marks of coming of age for a woman?

3. When are the men allowed to leave their confinement?

4. What are Over Mothers?

5. How does Vandyke describe the Herland religion?

Short Essay Questions

1. In Chapter 9, what do we learn girls in Herland are taught to think about themselves while growing up?

2. Why don't her Herland people believe in life after death?

3. Why is it necessary for the women of Herland to control their population? How do they do this?

4. What are the men asked to do by the elder women in Chapter 8? What do the young women ask the men?

5. In Chapter 7, why has Terry sunk in the esteem of his friends?

6. Why did Herland come to rely on food-bearing trees for its food supply?

7. What reason does Moadine give Terry for the men's ongoing imprisonment?

8. What are Ellador's beliefs about love-making?

9. What assumptions does Moadine make about wealthy and poor women in America?

10. What is the men's view of a wife's role in marriage? After their marriages, how do their wives fail to meet the men's expectations?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Discuss and describe the women of Herland. What are their defining traits? What do the men assume of the women before they meet them? How do the women surprise the male characters? What are some of the topics or issues which are important to the women? What is their top priority?

Essay Topic 2

Discuss the novel's conclusion. What happens at the end of the novel? Is the ending surprising? What happens to the central characters? Are there any unanswered questions?

Essay Topic 3

Analyse and interpret the character Jeff. What are Jeff's defining character traits? What is Gilman trying to convey in regards to the reversal of gender roles with the character Jeff? What does Jeff think of Herland?

(see the answer keys)

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