Weekly English Post #2

I'll interrupt my countdown to slip in the weekly English post needed. I have completed Herland and I have to say it just slowly went downhill. I'll explain that later, but I have started the project for it and I've decided to do the lesson plan. I saw Kim's take on the lesson plan and it was very well done, but I thought about it and knew I needed to do it a little differently. I am writing day by day lesson plans as if I'm the teacher. I am explaining why I put each item and also writing as if I have just one period a day to teach. I provide homework to the students and just put my own spin of humor on the teaching plans. Hopefully I score some points for originality.

On to the conclusion of Herland, or lack thereof. Chapters 7-12 were for lack of a better word boring. They provided only philosophical insight into the nation of Herland. The last six chapters could have been summed up in a couple pages and I'll do my best to sum it up in the voice of Gilman...(clears throat)

"Wow Terry, these women are incredible, I love them! Their nation is so much better and more advanced and ours," said Jeff.
"These women are terrible, they are not women at all. They are sexless creatures! I want out of here."
"I must admit Jeff, that what they have accomplished is tremendous. Herland is a utopia. It's perfect. It makes me doubt my masculinity and my faith in men all around," Van stated.
"I can't believe you guys!" Jeff explained. "We need to go home! I need to touch and talk to a real woman! I need love! They don't know what love is and never will."
"Hello," Ellador said while walking over, "I want to go back to America with you guys and report for Herland all the tragedies that come with a male society. We, as a society, have learned from you three that a male run society is destructive. That it can never be at peace. I want to go back and report why. I think its because men are chauvinistic pigs who fight about everything and argue and want to kill each other over stupid things. It could also be because you guys don't treasure and value life and health, you value cars and money and women, but that's just my take on it. I can't wait to see how a society of different sexes really is."
The End

Now that should have shown us a little something about the book. Gilman, a feminist fighter in the early 1900's, had a bone to pick with men and let loose in Herland. She believed men and women should have equal responsibility in society. She thought women could do just as good a job as men. Now I believe in women's right and freedom of choice and I think that women were not given an equal shake until about 100 years ago, but reading these outdated books just make me mad. Time have changed its not as bad today as it was back then. Women have their rights even though they still fight for things like equal pay and other things. I'm not a sexist, I think Hilary can be a good president, I just don't think the rest of the US thinks the same thing.

Gilman was fighting the good fight 100 years ago with her words. She caught the eye of famous feminists like Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton. Ironically, women were able to vote in New Jersey in 1790 due to a loophole, until male congress decided to cover up that loop hole in 1807. Women were not able to vote again until the amendment was passed in 1919. All this being said... I don't know how the world would be if women and blacks and other nationalities/races were given a fair chance. The world might be a better place with everyone acting as one instead of having prejudices, but we'll never know. We can only hope as we progress as a nation and as people, we are able to come together and unity can be achieved.