I guess I see that part of the difference between Sargent and Tepper
(besides the time, I don't want to harp on the dates too much) is the
attitude. The men inside the Women's Country are sort of enlightened
beings (not necessarily partners since Tepper didn't develope that very
much) while the men outside are rejects (coddled, to be sure). Sargent
questioned, but not to my satisfaction, how a culture shapes
actions/thoughts. It ultimately proclaimed the disatrous effects (well,
this is how it came across to me, unfortunately) of a women's only
society and how it would inevitably end (for the good).
I think that the feminist agenda changed between Russ/Charnas and
Tepper and that Sargent might show the change. Then again, I like to
connect all this with Faludi's (non-fiction) _Backlash_. I would like
to see more strong(successful) all-female societies written now. It
would show something about the late '90s that I think is missing. Can
anyone point me towards some?
misha
>----------
>From: The Jeli's[SMTP:utaar@cnnw.net]
>Sent: Tuesday, November 25, 1997 1:52 PM
>To: FEMINISTSF@LISTSERV.UIC.EDU
>Subject: Re: [*FSFFU*] old thread- feminist dystopias/utopias
>
>>Some other things to think about are the works that ostensibly have
>>women and men existing together (these two are very different, and i'm
>>not sure I like the implications of Sargent's) Tepper's _Gate to Women's
>>Country_ and Sargent's _Shore of Women_. Men aren't entirely eliminated
>>(used for procreation) but it was also a man-made catastrophe/war that
>>caused a situation women took advantage of.
>
>The interesting part (for me) about _Gate to Women's Country_ was the
>secret that it wasn't the warriors begetting children, but the gentle
>men that the women had let back into their cities and who supposedly
>lived with the women's families as "servants". When I found that out near
>the end of the book I was genuinely surprised. I really liked the idea that
>the women really didn't want to get rid of men entirely, that they were
>willing to let men back into their cities and their lives as long as the men
>behaved themselves. I don't want to spark a heated debate on the
>list, but I find it hard to read books that are hateful towards men. I know
>I for one wouldn't want to live without them (after all, who would open jars
>for me?) ;-)
>
>Cami
>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
>utaar@cnnw.net
>http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Ranch/7115
>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
>"What we call human nature in actuality is human habit"
>
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