Feminism in Herland by Charlotte Perkins Gilman and When It Changed by

Feminism in Herland by Charlotte Perkins Gilman and When It Changed by Joanna RussDuring the long history of science fiction, one of the most common themes is the utopia. Many feminists used utopia to convey their ideas. dickens of these stories, Herland by Charlotte Perkins Gilman and When It Changed by Joanna Russ portray feminist utopias in different ways. Herland shows a ships company lacking men, and makes this seem positive, while When It Changed shows an all-female society that mirrors a world with men. finished their respective stories, the authors are saying that women should be considered equal to men. Gilman points out that women should be accepted because they can survive on their own, while Russ suggests that women can be as strong as men if necessary. Herland is the story of three men that stumble upon a society populated entirely by women. This culture is superior in virtually all ways to the world of the men. The narrator is one of the visiting men, and he is const antly in awe of the perfection. The women of Herland know no poverty, hunger, or evil. This sweet was written in a time when the womens movement was in its earliest stages. This parallels the fact that Herland, and most utopias, are found in distant, isolated locations. Gilmans portrayal of a utopian feminist society is perfect, without any outwardly apparent flaws. Although her view is exaggerated, she suggests that a society made up of all females would be superior to one with both sexes, and, in saying this, she makes a powerful statement for womens equality. Bernice Hausman writes, Gilmans social Darwinism rested on the assertion that women, as a collective entity, could, if they chose, be the moving force in the recognition of society. (1... ...e topic that women deserve to be accepted in society. Russ attempts to show this through the society on Whileaway, where the women survive without men by becoming like men themselves. In contrast, Gilman uses a society of females to sh ow that women were confined by their roles of society, and were capable of ofttimes more. Sources usedClemons, Tammy. Feminism in Herland A Utopian Vision of Charlotte Perkins Gilman. Published on www.womenwriters.netGilman, Charlotte Perkins. Herland. Minola, New York Dover Publications, Inc., 1998. Hausman, Bernice L. Sex before gender Charlotte Perkins Gilman and the evolutionary figure of utopia. Feminist Studies, Fall 1998 issue.Russ, Joanna. When It Changed. The Prentice Hall Anthology of Science Fiction and Fantasy. Ed. Garyn G. Roberts. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey Prentice Hall, 2001. Pg. 946-951.