The Charlotte Perkins Gilman Classic: Herland characters

Also known as Van

Appears from the start

The American sociologist who narrates the expedition into Herland. More observant and less dogmatic than Terry, he still arrives with conventional assumptions about women and society. His account follows the gradual revision of those assumptions as he learns the country's language, history, and customs.

Appears from the start

A wealthy, energetic explorer who organizes the return journey after hearing reports of a country inhabited only by women. Bold and resourceful, he treats masculine dominance as a law of nature and expects the women they encounter to fit his romantic and possessive ideas.

Appears from the start

A physician and the third member of the American expedition. Jeff is courteous, idealistic, and inclined to revere women. His admiration makes him more receptive to Herland than Terry, though it begins as another inherited image rather than an understanding of the women as individuals.

First appears in chapter 2

One of the three young Herlanders first seen by the explorers. Intelligent, composed, and intensely curious about the world outside her country, she has the patience to exchange knowledge with the visitors while questioning the assumptions behind their answers.

First appears in chapter 2

One of the three young women whom the explorers pursue soon after landing. Warm and capable, she belongs to a society in which education, physical activity, and useful work are ordinary parts of every woman's upbringing.

First appears in chapter 2

The dark-haired and physically confident member of the trio first encountered by the explorers. She meets the strangers' attention without submissiveness and quickly frustrates Terry's expectation that flirtation will give him control of the encounter.

First appears in chapter 3

A patient older Herlander assigned to teach Van the language and answer his questions. She explains her country's institutions without defensiveness and asks equally direct questions about his world, exposing how often its customs fail to match the ideals he claims for them.

First appears in chapter 3

One of the three experienced women appointed as the explorers' teachers and custodians. She works with Terry, remaining calm in the face of his attempts to assert authority and helping the visitors learn enough language to understand where they are.

First appears in chapter 3

An older Herlander who serves as Jeff's teacher during the men's confinement. Like Somel and Moadine, she combines close supervision with a genuine wish to educate the visitors and learn what their arrival may mean for her isolated country.