The novel, Herland, reflects a period in American literature that is nearly the polar opposite of realism. Modernism seems to include elements of fantasy, use of political agenda, and reflection on that which is most certainly not. On the other hand, Realism, as its title implies, was an attempt to reflect the beauty, the scars, and the rough edges of ordinary, real life. Needless to say, reading at one moment McTeague: A Story of San Francisco and at the next Herland, could be quite a "shock to the system." McTeague is powerful, descriptive, and overly detailed. Herland is feminist, making the political point that women are perfectly capable of sustaining themselves and their society free from the influence of men. The contrast between the two stories, though written within a relatively brief span of time, is remarkable.
Overall, the stories in these two books present the general contrast between Realism and Modernism. It is the same rejection of old thoughts for "new" ones as every other flip-flop in time periods of American Literature. We Americans focus on the divine, otherworldly, romantic, dream-land schools of thought, before seeming to awaken to a light of reason, truth-seeking, and rational, only to grow bored, and begin again to write of myths and fantasies. The transition between McTeague and Herland does not vary from this pattern. From what I have gathered between class discussions and personal reading, the two stories are reflections of their respective time periods, and they provide insight into the overall tendencies of each.
