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Herland

October 24, 2003 12:49 PM posted by brigitte : track it (0)

Herland by Charlotte Perkins Gilman is one of my favorite feminist texts. It falls somewhere in between philosophy and fiction and is told from the perspective of one man in a group of three that have stumbled upon a women-only utopia. A lot of the ideas for her matrilineal soceity are based on, perhaps surprisingly, Plato's The Republic. To apply his established, and often sexist, ideals to an idyllic female culture is an amazing feat. In a way it's a "what if" tale, a beautifully executed hypothetical, and I definitely reccomend it! It's not only interesting, but also a great read.

Published in 1915 you can read it online here.

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I've been wanting to read that book! I'm so glad that I can read it online for free. Thanks for the useful link.

Posted by: Sharon on October 24, 2003 04:10 PM |