An Extreme Collectivism

                The society of Herland represents an extreme of collectivist culture. At the time the novel was written, women lacked rights that were granted to men. This divide was present in both collectivist and individualistic cultures across the world. In fact, women in individualistic cultures gained rights sooner due to the cultural encouragement to fight for one’s own desires, where collectivist cultures instill that the stability and success of the county as a whole should be considered. However, Charlotte Perkins Gillman has taken the idea of a culture that truly values each individual equally from the collectivist vision. In Herland, all of the inhabitants are women and they are all considered equal persons in the society.

                In the society, motherhood is the most important duty of each and every citizen. It is the task of the women of the society to properly raise and educate the children above all else. With no means of expanding their world or making any outward progress due to their isolation, the primary meaning for life is the continuation of their species. Motherhood in Herland is so important to the citizens that it has spawned its own religion. Mother Nature is considered the overarching life force by which all parts of nature feed off of. Mother Nature cares for the citizens through providing food and water and the citizens respect the earth by replanting resources that they have used up. Additionally, all remnants of natural goods that have not been used are returned to the earth to enrich the soil (Gillman, 51). This cycle of motherhood that originates with Mother Nature and is continued by the mothers in the society gives every woman an equal part in the goal of the society to raise and mentor children.

The collectivist theme is taken to such an extreme that the women talk in terms of “we” rather than in terms of “I.” This word use annoys the men that travel to the society as outsiders from Europe. Their exposure and adherence to individualistic culture prohibits them from comprehending the absolute connectedness of the women in Herland. The collectivist ideal is also present in their lawmaking. When thinking about enacting a law, the impact of the decision on the children and on motherhood as a whole is analyzed in detail. Laws are created only if they further the cause of motherhood and receive unanimous agreement from the mothers (Gillman, 57).  Yet, the unanimous agreement comes naturally if the decision will benefit motherhood, since all members of the society value that above all else.

There is one policy of Herland that takes the collectivist culture ideal to such an extreme that personal equality is undermined. When each woman becomes a mother, she is examined to see if she is capable of properly raising the child. If it is decided that the mother cannot educate the daughter to the expected standards, then the responsibility for the child’s education will be given to another woman (Gillman, 70). While this idea preserves the best interest of the child by allowing her to receive the best education possible, it eliminates the personal right to raise one’s own daughter. Naturally, the men are appalled by this idea coming from an individualistic culture. It raises the ethical question of should the child’s right to the best education or the mother’s right to raise her own child be considered more important? This moral quandary shows that no culture can create total equality for all while still having goals for the society.