25 pages deep

After 1 week I am 25 pages into novel and I have made a couple observations (other than the fact that I am the slowest reader in America).

1. Feminist books don't necessarily have to be as bad as they sound - as long as there is the possibility of violence. This book has maintained my attention mainly because there has been hints and foreshadowing in the novel about the violent tendencies of the women in this mysterious country. I can only pray that these women are armed and dangerous - and ill-tempered. The brief encounter with the three girls in the tree as the characters arive in the country was the most exciting part so far. On page 14 and 15, Gilman described these girls as "swift as light" and "strong and agile" which adds the possiblity of these people possessing a near super human element. Are they like every other human? How do they feel towards the rest of the people in the world? Are they prone to violence?

2. From what I have inferred so far, I can't see anyway that Gilman or anyone else could consider this society ideal. It seems to me that it is a land devoid of both emotional and sexual feelings/actions for the opposite sex as well as a complete lack of diversity.

This link is a piece of criticism explaining how the women in this society go about reproduction. In the last paragraph, the author, Denise Knight, explains how "human emotions, desires, cognition are completely standardized" and how she sees no attraction or benefit to a society with such restrictions. This adds an unrealistic element to the novel; Gilman is trying to establish a society that she claims is perfect, but without any variation? This seems to be quite nearly a dystopia.