With Her in Ourland was serialized in The Forerunner in 1916 and first published as a book in 1997 (Greenwood Press). Ellador, one of the Herland women, has married the American sociologist Van and travels with him through the outside world — “Ourland” — observing human civilization with the clear eyes of someone raised in a rational, cooperative society.
Ellador’s observations are Gilman’s platform for social criticism: she visits Europe during World War I and cannot comprehend why millions of men are killing each other over national boundaries. She observes American race relations and is horrified by the contradiction between democratic ideals and racist practice. She examines gender relations across cultures and finds them universally exploitative. She studies capitalism and judges it insane — a system that produces poverty in the midst of abundance.
The novel is more didactic than Herland — it is essentially a series of dialogues between Ellador (who asks innocent questions) and Van (who tries to defend “Ourland” and repeatedly fails). But its directness gives it power: Gilman uses the outsider’s perspective to make familiar social arrangements appear as strange and irrational as they actually are.
Collecting With Her in Ourland
First book edition (Greenwood Press, 1997): Hardcover.
Original serialization (The Forerunner, 1916): Magazine.
Market values:
- Complete Forerunner volume (1916): $200–$600
- Greenwood Press first book edition: $40–$100