Moving the Mountain (novel)
A short-distance utopia set thirty years ahead.
Moving the Mountain is a feminist utopian novel by Charlotte Perkins Gilman, serialized in her periodical The Forerunner and published in book form in 1912. It is sometimes considered part of Gilman's utopian trilogy, but it is not typically included as the first volume; the trilogy more commonly begins with Herland (1915), followed by With Her in Ourland (1916). The novel is part of the major wave of utopian and dystopian literature of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.
- published
- 1912
- series
- Sometimes considered part of Gilman's utopian trilogy, but not typically the first volume
Lore & Background
The novel includes eugenic themes: new laws 'check the birth of defectives and degenerates,' and 'criminals and perverts' are sterilized. Similar eugenic ideas appear in other works by Gilman, such as Herland and With Her in Ourland. One character explains, 'We killed many hopeless degenerates, insane, idiots, and real perverts, after trying our best powers of cure.' Gilman also critiques H. G. Wells, stating he saw women only as females and could not see them as human beings.
Reader's Guide
Moving the Mountain is significant as the first volume of Charlotte Perkins Gilman's utopian trilogy, presenting a reformed America achieved through social evolution and a 'new religion.' Its 'short-distance' approach made the utopia feel attainable, contrasting with the remote futures of other works. The novel addresses issues still relevant today: equal education, day-care centers, and environmental remediation. However, it also reveals the dark side of Gilman's vision, endorsing state-ordered killing of 'undesirables' and compulsory sterilization, reflecting the eugenics movement of the era. The book's influence lies in its blend of feminist reform with authoritarian social control, and its critique of H. G. Wells's limited feminism. It remains a key text for understanding early twentieth-century utopian thought and the tensions within progressive movements.
Did You Know?
- The novel was serialized in Gilman's own periodical The Forerunner before being published in book form in 1912.
- Gilman moves her protagonist only thirty years ahead, from roughly 1910 to around 1940, calling it a 'short-distance Utopia.'
- Similar eugenic ideas appear in other works by Gilman, such as Herland and With Her in Ourland.
- Gilman criticized H. G. Wells for being unable to see women as human beings, despite his claim to be 'wholly feminist.'
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