With their curiosity piqued, the three men hire a native guide to lead them to this mythical place, which Terry calls “Herland.” Upon arriving, the explorers are greeted by young Ellador, Celis, and Alima. It is also said that no man has ever returned from this place. After introducing the three men, the narrative follows the explorers as they endeavor to find the oft-rumored female utopia, a land that is said to be entirely inhabited by women. Vandyck’s point of view is vastly different still, as he perceives women as objects of study. While Jeff idealizes women as feminine and proper, Terry is more concerned with their physical appearance than their comportment. The three men represent clearly different male perspectives on women. The three main characters who feature throughout the novel include Terry Nicholson, a misogynist explorer Jeff Margrave, a doctor who idolizes women and puts them on a pedestal, and Vandyck Jennings, a sociologist whose views on women may not be more accurate than his counterparts, but at the very least are firmly rooted in scientific study. Herland by Charlotte Perkins Gilman is a satirical utopian novel about a world in which women wield absolute power, demonstrating their own personal and cultural identities without fear of reprieve.
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