January Book of the Month: The Gate to Women's Country

[Geoffrey]

I love this book and first read it in my early 20's and I've read it maybe 3 times since.  It is a post-apocalyptic society where the genders are strictly segregated all men joining the army and living outside city walls to defend the women inside.  All trade, scholarship and manufacturing are then done by the women.   The only men in the city function as nannies and housekeepers and these are men who choose to reject the military lifestyle between ages 15 and 25.   It's a tightly controlled society where everything from food to sexuality is controlled by a council.  Its a feminist utopia and a rigid dystopia.

What are your initial thoughts about their society?  Is the tension between the men and women sharper because of the separation?  Does Stavia and her sister react to attention from a boy so foolishly because of the separation? 

[Geoffrey]

One of the recurring themes in the book is female human nature - especially that of young girls and their ability to be blinded by love.  The men crassly manipulate woman based on girls' inability to think straight once they're in love with a soldier boy; they make foolish decisions and they change their opinions to match that of their beaux.   But, are they behaving believably? 

I've seen girls get all love struck - especially with their first loves.  But, this book seems to kick it up a notch.  Is it that the rigid separation of the genders helps foster their foolishness and allows it to grow?   The older women all admit it's a problem and admit they did it as girls themselves, but is it something uncontrollable or is this an exaggeration of attitudes from a different era?  The book itself was published in 1988 but the author was born in 1929.  Is this simply a reflection of the Mid 20th century attitude towards women and especially girls?