Herland: Chapter 5: A Unique History Summary & Analysis

Returning to the present, Van writes that it’s useless for him to focus his narrative on the adventures he, Terry, and Jeff had in Herland because there were no adventures to be had—no battles to fight or wild beasts to tame. Indeed, the only remarkable animals in Herland are the pet cats, who have been bred not to make noise or kill the birds, although they are encouraged to kill mice and other rodents that might damage the food supply. 

Returning to the flashback, Terry, Van, and Jeff sit with Somel, Moadine, and Zava, talking about the cats. The conversation turns to the domestication of animals in the world outside of Herland, particularly dogs. The men explain that there are many different breeds of dogs with many different uses (such as hunting or sledding), but dogs are primarily bred for companionship because people love them. The tutors say they understand the love other people have for their dogs because of the love they have for their cats. The tutors explain that in Herland, there are very few male cats and they are kept in walled gardens to prevent unwanted mating outside of the established annual mating season. The women ask if there’s a similar system for dogs and the men explain that very few people want female dogs that might have puppies, so most pet dogs are male.

Zava asks Terry if the dogs in America are as kind and gentle as the cats in Herland. Jeff mischievously speaks up, saying that there are many dogs that bite children. This catches the tutors’ attention and they ask how many dogs there are. Jeff says that nearly every family has one and Terry chimes in to say that every little boy loves to have a dog. Somel asks if little girls like the dogs too. Terry, a little deflated, says that girls also like them. Through careful questioning, the tutors learn that dogs are sometimes kept as protection from burglars (which Moadine takes careful note of) and are often chained up. Zava notes that because people (but mostly men) love pet dogs so much, they are kept either shut up or chained. Jeff admits that seeing a dog on a chain has always seemed pathetic to him. 

In the present, Van shares what he learned about Herland’s history. In Herlandian history books, Van read that Herland was once a much larger country, reaching all the way to the coast. The ancient Herlandians had an army, ships, and a king. Successive misfortunes (wars and a volcanic eruption) culminated in a slave uprising during which the men and boys were killed. The remaining women, cut off from the world after the volcanic eruption, did their best to rebuild their society without men. After 10 years, one woman mysteriously began having children, ultimately giving birth to five girls. These five daughters also grew up to have five daughters apiece. This pattern continued from one generation to the next and was the beginning of the Herlandian race that Van, Jeff, and Terry discovered.

Van writes that he, Jeff, and Terry initially struggled to understand how these women had not only eradicated so many masculine characteristics in their society, but also gotten rid of feminine ones. For example, because there were no men, the women had no reason to be afraid and therefore no need for protectors. Terry was incredulous about the idea that women could naturally be as cooperative as the Herlandians, saying that women are too jealous and fight too much to form a harmonious society. Van reminded Terry that what they had seen so far seemed to contradict Terry’s opinion. Terry admitted the truth of this but stated that “these women aren’t womanly.”

Van records that he and Jeff were as patient as they could be with Terry, who had never gone so long without having some adventure (romantic or otherwise). Still, Van notes that there is some truth to what Terry said about the women of Herland not being “womanly.” According to Van, the Herlandians lack the traditional characteristics of femininity that one expects women to have. This quickly led Van to the conclusion that the “feminine charms” one expects women to have are not natural at all, but simply “reflected masculinity” put on to please men. Terry, however, never reached this conclusion, and both Jeff and Van had to warn him not to run completely wild once they were released from the fortress.

Returning to the subject of Herland’s history, Van writes that the ancient Herlandians dedicated themselves to planning for their future children and improving their country for them. Specifically, the Herlandians turned their attention to how to create “the best kind of people.” They recognized early that education was the surest way to promote good qualities and eliminate bad ones. Van writes that as he was learning about these women’s accomplishments (creating a society free of war, class divisions, and conflict), he began to lose respect for what men had done in the rest of the world. 

In a flashback, Van, Terry, and Jeff try to convince Somel, Moadine, and Zava about the benefits of economic competition as motivation for men to work. Terry suggests that no man would work if he didn’t have to. Confused, the tutors ask if this applies only to men. Terry hastily explains that women might continue to work in the home for the good of their children, but the “world’s work” is done by men. The tutors excitedly ask what work the men do in the rest of the world that isn’t being done in Herland. Terry explains that men do “everything” while women are revered and kept in the home with the children. Zava incredulously asks if women really don’t work, forcing Terry to admit that poor women do. When Zava asks how many poor women there are, Jeff mischievously says there are seven or eight million in America.