In Joanna’s Russ’s short story “When It Changed” has the main character, Janet, living on a different world called Whileaway. It is a planet consisting of only females due to the passing of males thirty generations ago. With only one gender, there are no more gender roles. A planet consisting of honesty and integrity to duel whom you disagree with, ending with the stronger women being the lone survivor. Janet is a mother of three children and is living in a gender neutral society. The advancement of their society’s technology allows women reproduce without men, have full time jobs and thrive in a population with an “blessedly easy” (Russ 1) climate. Leong Hang-tat, doctor of philosophy in english, defines utopias across history as “such as freedom from labour, abundance of food, and the absolute need for security and stability” (Leong 10) while dystopias are living conditions with “loss of freedom, the totalitarian state and the repression of human desire” (Leong 10). I argue in Janet’s perspective that…show more content… With the freedom of bear arms “ I [Janet] reached down next to me where we bolt the carrier panel to the door and eased my rifle into my lap.” (Russ 1). By having the freedom to duel, this proves that there are still disagreements between people in Whileaway and it is not perfect. This scares Janet a bit because “For someone who has fought three duels, I am afraid of far, far too much. I’m getting old.” (Russ 1) Janet’s ability to duel and defend herself will eventually come to an end. Kate, Janet’s wife, is fearful of touching a firearm so even when Kate goes hiking in the “forest above the forty-eighth parallel” (Russ1), Janet is in distress over the safety of her wife. Kate’s right to not use a firearm allows her to do as she pleases. In Whileaway, it is tradition of girls to shoot a bear or knife a cougar in order to become a women. This teaches them how to survive and create instincts in a world with freedom to
