Herland: o corpo feminino idealizado por Charlotte Perkins Gilman

Abstract

This paper aims to analyze Herland, a utopian novel published by the American writer Charlotte Perkins Gilman in 1915, from the perspective of the female body. The representation of the female body is a central theme in many of Gilman's works, whether fictional or not, and it appears in various instances in the novel analyzed here. In the narrative, Gilman proposes female characters who defy the expectations constructed by Western patriarchal society regarding their performance of femininity. Their bodies differ from those of American women in the early 20th century in terms of physical stature, rationality, and their place in the public sphere. Therefore, the main objective of this paper is to analyze the constitution of the native women’s body in Herland, comparing it with the socially imposed gender standards of the patriarchal society in that time. To do so, we will begin the research by tracing a biography of the author, exploring her relationship with her own body, her place in the feminist movement, and comparing her other publications with Herland, as her works represent women in different perspectives. Then, we will interpret the ways in which the author represents the concepts of female body, gender, and sexuality. For this, we will briefly review the historiography of femininity to understand how the female body came to be neglected. Finally, knowing that motherhood and the female body are closely intertwined, and as motherhood is a central topic in the analyzed work, we will observe how Gilman uses motherhood and reproduction in the utopia to endow women with control over their own bodies