Herland

The men use Terry’s biplane to fly over the cliff to get to Herland. During their escape attempt, they return to the plane, which has been sewn into a large bag. The plane requires two people to fly it, so when Terry is exiled, Van, accompanied by Ellador, must also leave so that he can help Terry return to the US.

The biplane is a symbolic link between Herland and the rest of the world because it is the only way to get in and out of the country, as the cliff is too sheer and tall to safely climb. To Terry, the plane represents his freedom; he is willing to use the plane even without its motor: “I don’t care if the old thing’ll go or not […]. We can run her to the edge, get aboard, and just plane down—plop!” (32). The symbol of the biplane is also used in Terry’s characterization, and it helps demonstrate Terry’s level of wealth and his intense desire to explore, and later his intense desire to flee, despite the costs. His reference to the plane as a “her” also emphasizes his misogyny.

The Herlanders all have short hair, “some few inches at most” (25). The men dislike the short hair in the beginning because they do not perceive it as womanly. Van recognizes that this idea is arbitrary in his narration:

Why we should so admire ‘a woman’s crown of hair’ and not admire a Chinaman’s queue is hard to explain, except that we are so convinced that the long hair ‘belongs’ to a woman. Whereas the ‘mane’ in horses is on both, and in lions, buffalos, and such creatures only on the male (25).

This discussion on hair length develops the theme of Patriarchal Gender Distinctions by illustrating that gender expression is cultural rather than biologically inherent. This supports Gilman’s overall message that women are not naturally inferior to men, but rather are forced into a subordinate social position by the oppressive patriarchy.

The agricultural system of Herland is comprised of cultivated forests containing food-bearing trees. The men notice how well-tended the forests are while following Ellador, Celis, and Alima into town: “a land in a state of perfect cultivation, where even the forests looked as if they were cared for” (12). They later learn in their tutoring sessions that the forests were replanted with food-bearing trees to support the population of Herland. It is implied that the Herlanders eat a vegetarian diet consisting of fruits, nuts, and grains that are produced within the food forests.

The food forests symbolize the efficient and nonviolent Herland society. The choice to use food forests rather than traditional agricultural methods shows the Herlanders’ innovative natures and their willingness to change as opposed to adhering to tradition. Trees, they realized, are the most efficient manner of producing food, and the process nourishes the soil rather than depleting it, as occurs in traditional field agriculture. Gilman imparts three messages—that traditional agriculture is inefficient, that following tradition impedes progression, and that women are innovative and efficient.

Nonviolence is also represented through the food forests because the forests supply a plant-based diet. The Herlanders are shocked at the idea of humans drinking cow milk—an animal-based food that is widely considered as humane since cows are not killed in the process. Van comments on the food being delicious and plentiful, which alludes to the idea that people can have a nutritious, varied, and delicious diet without harming animals.