Land Of The...

  Previously I studied Country of the Blind by H.G. Wells (http://www.online-literature.com/wellshg/3/), a precursor to The Day of the Triffids, and an early example of science fiction. I found it an intensely thought provoking read. I thought it was very telling that a Victorian man assumes his attributes are those of one in power, even though the country of the blind had no need for them. His choice at the end, between losing his eyes for the one he loves and death alone on a mountain, was hard hitting and stayed with me; hence this post.

  The story left me wandering about other societies a lone man could find, in which he finds himself ousted instead of hallowed. I thought of mutes, or the deaf, or even a society with missing limbs. Then, I considered women. Throughout history societies of women, such as the Amazons, have been labelled as dangerous and man-hating warriors; however, by the end they are always bought to heel and forced to marry (or worse). What if this hidden society of women is not one of hateful war but just a normal society like Country of the Blind?

  

  I imagine this single Victorian man not believing his luck in finding a society that only he can oppress, he imagines himself soon to be King with a multitude of concubines. Yet he finds himself thought of as a deformed and mutated monster, not to be taken heed of. When he tries to physically subjugate his would-be followers, they fight back, and finally he finds himself in the situation where he himself is the dominated.

  

  Finally, he stops fighting and falls in love, but to stay he has to get the awful growth that the society assume is creating his anger, removed. He has a choice between castration and the life of a eunuch or death in the wilderness.

Who needs love anyway?