Herland

by

Charlotte Perkins Gilman

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Herland: Chapter 3: A Peculiar Imprisonment Summary & Analysis

Summary
Analysis
Van slowly regains consciousness from the anesthesia and finds himself in a state of perfect comfort on a large bed with a soft quilt. He lies in the bed, quietly taking note of the room and its tall windows for a few minutes before Terry wakes up; it’s only then that Van remembers what happened. Jeff also wakes up and the three men notice that they are dressed in peculiar but extremely comfortable robes. They notice an open door that leads to a bathroom where they find their toiletries and a closet full of Herlandian clothes. Terry declares that they need to discuss their situation before anything else. Jeff notes that although the women could have hurt them, none of them are hurt. Van says this is evidence that all the Herlandians are women. Terry points out that the women have stripped them of all their clothing, which makes Jeff blush.
One of the beliefs the men have about womanhood and femininity is that women are not prone to violence, and this seems to be confirmed by the fact that they have not been injured in any way. In fact, they have been dealt with rather gently—they wake up in comfortable beds and the majority of their possessions remain with them. This respectful treatment also implies that the woman may think the men can be useful (which ultimately proves to be the case).
Themes
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Literary Devices
Terry says that although they’re trapped, the women are evidently harmless and so their next steps should be to put on some new clothes. They each grab some Herlandian clothes from the closet (a one-piece knee-length undergarment, stockings, and a knee-length tunic with ample pockets) and wash up in the bathroom. Van praises the Herlandian clothes for their sensibility and comfort, but Terry says wearing the clothes makes them all feel “like a lot of neuters.” Terry wonders if they will get breakfast. Jeff says he thinks the Herlandians mean to treat the men like guests, Terry declares they’ll be “Hailed as deliverers,” and Van believes the women plan to study them.
Terry’s complaint that the clothes make him and the other men feel “like a lot of neuters” means that the clothes are not traditionally masculine, nor are they necessarily feminine. The clothes are, in fact, sexless—they are representative of the Herlandians’ dedication to practicality rather than stereotypically “feminine” frivolity and love of ornamentation. When Terry says he and the other men will be “Hailed as deliverers,” he reveals his belief that the women yearn for romantic relationships with men. What the men will deliver them from, then, is a sexless life.
Themes
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Jeff, Van, and Terry find a locked door and knock on it when they hear voices on the other side. When it opens, they enter a room with one large table, several couches, and several small tables laid with food. There are also 18 women (the Colonels, much to Terry’s displeasure) waiting for them. Each man is shown to his own small table to eat with one of the Colonels while five other women stand guard at each table. As soon as the men finish eating, the women sitting with them give them each a small book designed to teach the men the Herlandian language and give them a way to teach the women English; for every Herlandian word the men learn, they write down the English equivalent. Their tutors, Van notes, are incredibly perceptive and patient in helping the men through their difficulties in learning the language.
Once again the Herlandians prove themselves to be organized, unified, and intelligent—more than the men initially believed they would be. The desire to both teach the men Herlandian and learn English themselves is the first indication of the community’s common love of education and learning. It also proves that the Herlandians do have a reason for keeping the men instead of killing or hurting them—to learn from them.
Themes
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When they are alone again, Jeff praises the way the Herlandians are treating them by giving them such a comfortable room, ample food, and the freedom to move around instead of being physically restrained. Jeff says that they would be treated much worse if they were in a “man-country.” Irritated, Terry insists that there must be men somewhere. Van agrees, saying that the men may be in a different part of the country. Van says that the men there might be “subdued […] and […] shut up.” Terry drily remarks that the three of them are now in the same position. The three of them go to one of the windows to look out. Although the windows aren’t barred, they are high above the ground in an isolated area. Terry says they will have to escape from the fortress eventually. Jeff and Van agree.
Van, Jeff, and Terry do not seem to recognize the irony of their situation: they are being “subdued” and “shut up” by the women just as American women are kept “subdued” and “shut up” by American men. The way American women (especially wives) are treated—and the way gender roles are used to justify how they’re treated—becomes an increasingly important topic that the men discuss with their tutors and other Herlandians.
Themes
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Walking away from the window, Jeff remarks on how the women are reacting to their presence. In particular, Jeff says that “It’s as if our being men was a minor incident.” Van agrees with Jeff’s observation, but Terry lashes out, saying that the only reason the women are reacting that way is because of their age. Jeff admits that this might be true but reminds Terry that the three younger women they saw earlier were curious but unafraid of the three men. Terry thinks about this over the next few days and complains that if he had managed to catch Alima, they could have used her as a hostage to negotiate with the leaders of Herland.
Terry’s irritation at hearing Jeff’s statement that the fact that they are men seems only incidental to the Herlandian women reveals just how much importance he places on his maleness and masculinity. For Terry, manhood is synonymous with superiority and power, and it is the key to his success with women in America. Terry has been relying on the idea that the women in Herland will be hopelessly sexually attracted to him as a man’s man, so the idea that they might not be is deeply unsettling.
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Over the following days and weeks, Jeff, Van, and Terry continue working with their tutors and take walks in the walled-in garden under supervision. From the garden, they get a better view of the fortress, confirming their suspicion that it is an ancient structure. Their guards regularly knit and read, and Terry says that seeing them knit is almost enough to make them seem feminine. Still, Terry dreams of being let loose among the younger women. Van gloomily asks Terry how he can be sure they’ll ever be let out of the fortress. The three men think about this possibility until Van suggests that perhaps if they are respectful and do well in their Herlandian lessons, then eventually the Colonels will let them free.
Terry looks for any indication of traditional Western femininity in the Colonels because he is unable to conceive of womanhood without his idea of femininity—it would be unnatural. In this, Terry exemplifies the belief that femininity is an essential element of womanhood. However, advanced age might explain a lack of femininity, so in looking forward to being around the younger Herlandians, Terry reveals his hope that he will might still find more femininity in that age group.
Themes
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In a narrated aside, Van discusses the Herlandian language that he, Terry, and Jeff were trying to learn, saying that it has an easily understood phonetic system that sounds beautiful. Van also shares details about the exercise regimen he and the others were encouraged to do, which included dancing, running, and hurdling. In all these things, the women’s abilities surpassed those of Terry, Van, and Jeff. Van remembers trying to imitate the Herlandian method of jumping over hurdles (lifting one’s legs up and twisting the torso in midair) but failing to reach the same level of skill as the Colonels
One of the fundamental beliefs about womanhood that Van, Jeff, and Terry flew into Herland with was that they, as men, would inevitably be physically stronger that the Herlandians. However, the Colonels prove the men wrong. This instance echoes Van’s earlier comment that, in the present, he can laugh at the idea of men walking into Herland with the assumption that the women would be easily conquered.
Themes
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Returning to the past, Van, Terry, and Jeff continue to receive lessons from their tutors; Van is taught by Somel, Jeff by Zava, and Terry by Moadine. Although Van and Jeff develop real friendships with their tutors, Terry scorns Moadine and refuses to accept her friendship. The tutors bring the men maps of Herland, pictures, engravings, and—as the men grow more and more fluent in the Herlandian language—books. Terry’s anger and impatience, however, prevents Van and Jeff from enjoying the experience as much as they might have if he weren’t there. Van begs Terry to just be patient until the women let them out, but Terry rails against the idea that he must be “let” out.
Terry proves incapable of developing a relationship with Moadine because he is unable to recognize or accept a woman as his equal, which is fundamental in any genuine friendship. Furthermore, the idea that he must be “let” out implies that Terry is actually in an inferior position to the women, which is at the root of his anger. Without enjoying a sense of superiority—and, more importantly, having that superiority recognized by others—Terry can’t be content.
Themes
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Terry eventually convinces Jeff and Van that it is time for them to escape. Terry, who has carefully observed every detail of their surroundings, points out that if they can make a long enough rope then they can use it to climb out of their window, then over the garden wall onto a path far below. The men formulate a plan to make a long rope out of their clothes and bedsheets in the middle of the night (the only time they are left alone). They carry their plan out one night when there is a full moon to guide them.
Terry suffers the most from being imprisoned because he is unable to cope with feeling inferior to the women, which is why he is the one who decides they must escape. It is notable that at no time do any of the men consider asking their tutors or the Colonels to let them leave the country in peace, which shows that the men still don't quite view the women as rationale people with whom they can speak openly.
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