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Herland Paper

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Herland Paper
An extension of Herland In a secluded region of the world a society developed in isolation from external influences. Physical barriers allowed this culture to evolve uninhibited, and thus, be unique in almost every aspect of their society. The people work together as a collective whole for the betterment of the group. A person is secondary to the nation, which created a system of cooperation and growth. Traditional gender roles are non-existent. Women do not need protection from men, due to the ability to act as a whole to counter the possibility of a threat. Subjugation of any person would lessen their contribution to the group, so every person is respect as an equal member. This society is the fictitious "Herland" created by gender activist Charlotte Perkins Gilman. Through analytical study of Gilman's book Herland, and extrapolating from the information provided, scholars can theorize about the path the characters, as well as this nation, would take in the years following this story. The basic plot of Gilman's work followed the adventure of three man on an expedition resulting in their discovery of Herland. These three men, named Van, Terry, and Jeff, are amazed by the uniquely different and independent culture that exists there. Herland is comprised completely of women that resulted from catastrophic events nearly two-thousand years prior. This utopian society is the culmination of what women's activist Elizabeth Stanton wrote about in her "Declaration of Sentiments" at the Seneca Falls convention. In her address she stated, "That all men and women are created equal; that they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights; that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness; that to secure these rights governments are instituted, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed" (Stanton 1848, 548-149). Through self determination, and no subordinating force, the women of Herland established a society and governing

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