Thursday, February 3, 2011
Paper 1
What does the wall that is put up around Herland represent, and how does it ...? I feel like there is a significance of this wall that "traps" these women and lets no one else in. It is clear that this utopia would have never survived had this wall not been here. I know that this really isn't the best question and i'm sure it needs to be added to, but I'm trying to figure out how to use this representation, its quite possible that I am wayyy off on this one. I am kind of hoping that I will have better luck with this last book that we have to read before the paper.
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I think it has the potential to be a really interesting question because there is definitely some significance to the wall. However, I do think the question will have to be added to or the paper may not be long enough and you won't have enough to discuss. You may want to consider asking how the wall contributes to creating the utopian society of Herland? Does the wall mean that in order for a Utopian society to succeed, you have to seclude yourself from the rest of the world and cut off all contact with outsiders? I think questions like these may give you more option without making the question and the paper too broad.
ReplyDeleteI really like the idea of exploring the wall and what it represents. I think that being a little more specific may help you when you are writing the paper. I really like the idea of delving deeper into what the wall means. I like how Allison added the question, does the wall mean that in order for a Utopian society to succeed, you have to seclude yourself from the rest of the world and cut off all contact with outsiders? I think that this could be a great question to explore.
ReplyDeleteHi Hayley,
ReplyDeleteI'm wondering if this question is really about the boundaries to Herland - what they are, how they are crossed (and how easily), etc. I agree with Allison and Alyse that this question seems like it could yield a fascinating reading of what utopias are/ how they work, etc. I would add that it offers the possibility for considering how female-only utopias work in particular. For example, you might do a gendered reading of the boundaries of the nation - which must, after all be "penetrated" by the male explorers. How might the representation of the land itself reflect or produce a certain vision of the female body/self? It seems to me that there's something at stake in this image of violation or penetration which resonates with the end of the story, where Terry is cast out of Herland for attempting to rape his wife.
I think it would be neat if you could find some other symbols related to the enclosure and "trapping" of the utopia and then make a thesis out of that and use the different symbols as examples of being entrapped in an utopia. For example, the land that has enough supplies to sustain their population without too much sacrifice could be another example of why they have never had to leave. However, if you could make your whole paper about the wall that would be very interesting to read as well!
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