The Gates to Women’s Country

“The Gates To Women’s Country” by Sheri S. Tepper was assigned to me to read. Little did I know how many relevant topics were brought up in this book that pertain to today’s society. This book, much like others, includes political and social issues. “The Gates To Women’s Country” is set in the future, where women live inside the country wall and men in the garrisons outside the wall’s gate. Stavia, the main character, has her story told through flashbacks from her youth to maturity.

The sons of the women are required to leave at the age of 5 to receive military training by the warriors until they are 15. When the boys reach maturity, they must decide whether they want to leave the garrisons and become servitors for the women, or stay with the men of the garrisons and fight senseless wars with no chance of return. Stavia’s son, Dawid, stays with the military along with his father, Chernon. Stavia has to renounce her son, meaning she declares that Dawid is no longer her son. Later in the story, Chernon manipulates Stavia countless times and even rapes her. Chernon and Stavia get kidnapped by a group called the Holylanders who are essentially Mormon fundamentalists. Stavia and Chernon are rescued, and Stavia realizes that she is pregnant by Chernon again. Upon her return to The Gates of Women’s Country, she finally learns the secrets of the women’s country council. The council has implemented a selective breeding program and uses specific servitors to donate traits to the women’s eggs using artificial insemination among select women. In the end, the MarthaTown Garrison goes to battle and no survivors return. Moreover, Tepper’s political and social issues presented in the book underline why equality is fundamental in society. Tepper illustrates how toxic masculinity and societal expectations of gender roles need to be changed in order to cultivate a healthier, more accepting society.

The women in Women’s Country and the men in the Warrior’s Garrison had different societal expectations of each other. The women were mostly obedient, intelligent, and structured, while the men were violent, ignorant, unruly, and controlling. In other words, the expectations of the genders showed that the women had higher expectations, while the men did whatever they pleased. The women believed that personality was genetically based (nature) and that was why they strove to alter genetics to increase the odds of boys choosing to come back home at age 15. The men believed that a boy must be trained (nurture), disregarding their origin. This is why in the book most boys became violent and unruly like the other men in the Garrison’s quarters. Inside the book, there is a constant struggle between the idea of nature and nurture. Tepper says: “The one thing you cannot and dare not absolutely guard against, for your nature must remain as it is for all your planning to come to fruition. You dare not change it. Still, it is hard when your own female nature betrays you into believing the ones who abuse you need you or love you or have some natural right to do what they do,” (290). This quote was taken from the part of the book where Septimus was talking with Morgot about her daughter Stavia. This quote showed the readers how the women of Women’s Country were suffering, much like women in modern society still are. The women choose to stay that way, and even when they are betrayed, they accept it because it is our “nature.” The women hold all of the knowledge, and the men believe that their strength is superior to the power of the women’s mind. This also illustrates the toxic masculinity and societal norms the characters in the book were bound by. The political and social issues written into this book are very much alive in today’s society. But because women are taking a stand against this inequality, we hope to see a more balanced and acceptable society for everyone.

Major social and political issues are brought up throughout the book. A major social issue discussed in the book is the council’s control over sexuality. The women believe that homosexuality is a genetic and hormonal disorder. The council has made it so that the disorder has been eugenically removed from the women and men of MarthaTown. However, that is not the only social issue raised in the book. Stavia, the main character, becomes a councilwoman just like her mother. She finds out about all the secrets the council holds and finally understands so much about Women’s Country that she wished she knew sooner. Tepper writes: “Stavia could not believe what she was hearing. What she was hearing was not as bad as what she was seeing, however—an expression on Chernon’s face which was frankly collusive. He understood these animals. He understood them from a place inside himself which empathised with them. In that instant, she comprehended much that had been unclear to her before “(251). Stavia understands that she had to wave off her rational self, and comes to terms that Chernon is a horrible person with patriarchal views. Once Stavia understood and made sense of all that happened, she was just like her mother, Morgot.

“The Gate To Women’s Country” is a very interesting book that covers many issues, from topics such as sexism and fantasy gun control to Mormon fundamentalism. The major themes in “The Gate To Women’s Country” primarily revolve around the prevalence of violence. Tepper writes, “Either you men kill us and are honored for it, or we women kill you and are damned for it. Dead or damned” (315). This quote was written during the Iphigenia play, in which Hecuba explains how she refrained from killing Talthybius. She could easily have killed Talthybius, but holds back recognizing that he was somebody’s son, or even a family member. Hecuba inferred that men are sent to fight in senseless wars and are honored for it, yet if she were to kill him, she would be damned. This is of course a manifestation of gender stereotypes and sexism. Despite the fact that killing is morally wrong, men are trained for wars with no just cause, and are sent out to risk their lives for no good reason. This is a monumental political issue when half of the population is dispatched to fight with little to no hope of return. The social and political issues raised in “The Gate To Women’s Country” highlight the importance of equality in society. To ensure these issues don’t persist in future generations, we must work towards a society free of violence where everyone is treated with respect and equality.

In conclusion, Tepper has written a captivating science fiction novel that presents readers with a wealth of issues to consider. The problems she raises range from gender stereotypes to violence, all of which are still relevant to society today. Her exploration of political and social issues emphasizes the importance of equality. By engaging with these topics, we can hope to shape a future free from such issues and end the normalization of violence before it spirals out of control. Tepper drives home that societal expectations of gender roles and toxic masculinity need to change to foster a healthier, more accepting society. It’s only when we achieve such a society that we can genuinely claim to have achieved peace.

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