Subject: __The Gate to Women's Country__ by Sheri Tepper Book Review

From: [email-masked]
Date: 04 Aug 93 01:56:40 GMT

THE GATE TO WOMEN'S COUNTRY by Sheri S. Tepper
                 Book Review by C. Douglas Baker
                           [Spoilers]

     Tepper's __The Gate to Women's Country__ has been a
lightening rod of criticism for its frank, some would say, unfair
treatment of males.  Having read and heard many negative comments
about the feminist agenda pursued by Tepper's _Gate_, I fully
expected a diatribe against males and a utopian society ran by
women to the be the centerpiece of the story.  Little did I
expect the unfavorable assessment of both sexes found here.
Males are depicted as being violent but easily manipulated by
symbolism and perceived threats to of their "manhood".  Women are
depicted as weak-willed and inclined toward poor judgement.
__The Gate to Women's Country__ is not "hard science" fiction,
nor is there much action or plot to engage the reader's interest.
Nevertheless, it is a compelling work that explores, sometimes
stereotypically, male and female behavior.  

     __The Gate to Women's Country__ is set in a post-holocaust
Earth, segments of which have been settled and ruled by women. 
Inside walled enclaves women have established a system whereby
males are forced to live outside the society of women in armed
encampments unless, at specified ages, they expressly desire to
live in "Women's Country" and abide by the rules established
therein.  The rigid military caste set up by males on the
outside, however, puts an unrelenting amount of pressure on males
to reject Women's Country and remain warriors.  A cabal of women,
through a variety of measures, including espionage and violence,
effectively subjugate the male population or warrior caste.  The
socio-political nature of Women's Country vis a vis its male
subjects is intricately woven into the plot.

     The story centers around Stavia who grows up accepting the
social institutions around her but questioning their utility. 
She falls in love with a young warrior, Chernon, who is depicted
as the typical male.  Tepper uses their relationship, especially
once free from Women's Country, as an especially poignant
commentary on the relationship between males and females
generally.  Tepper paints a dismal future for both relationships. 

     Tepper is equally scornful to women as to men in __Gate__. 
Women's Country is an undemocratic society ruled by a self-
selected group of councilwomen.  These councilwomen are secretive
and deceitful toward the remaining population of Women's Country. 
They feel this necessary because women take foolish actions based
on "infatuation" (with particular males of course) and cannot be
trusted with the secrets of Women's Country.  The council looks,
with some disdain, upon the rest of the women, who are easily
manipulated using the same symbolic rhetoric and gestures used to
control and manipulate the male population.  Indeed, the women
seem very compliant and unquestioning of the prerogative of the
council to rule.  The compliant nature of the women and the
cyclical revolts of the men are implicit comments on the basic
nature of the sexes.

     The society set up by Tepper is really a "negative utopia"
along the lines of George Orwell's __1984__ or Adolus Huxley's
___A Brave New World__.    Stavia's eventual acquiescence in the
methods used by the council in Women's Country to maintain its
dominance over males and its own female subjects is defeatist. 
Through Stavia's eyes the reader realizes the emotionally barren
and socially dysfunctional result of the rift between males and
females.  Through this example, one can see parallels to our own
society. 

%T The Gate to Women's Country
%A Sheri S. Tepper
%C New York
%D 1988
%I Foundation Books, Doubleday
%G ISBN 0-385-24709-5 (hbk)
%P 278

C. DOUGLAS BAKER
Email: [email-masked]