Angel Island (novel)
Encyclopedia
Angel Island is a science fiction
/fantasy
novel by American feminist author, journalist and suffragette
Inez Haynes Irwin
, writing under the name Inez Haynes Gillmore. It was originally published by Henry Holt in January 1914. The novel is about a group of men shipwrecked on an island occupied by winged-women.
Angel Island was reprinted in the February 1949 issue of Famous Fantastic Mysteries
, and again in 1978 by Arno Press. In 1988 in was republished by Plume as a "classic of early feminist literature" with an introductory essay by science fiction and fantasy author Ursula K. Le Guin
.
while en route from America to the Orient. They are the only survivors, and their chances of being rescued are remote as a storm had driven their ship into uncharted waters before smashing it against rocks. The island is 20 miles long by 7 miles wide, and densely wooded with a freshwater lake in the center. After coming to terms with their predicament, the men begin collecting what they can from washed-up wreckage from the ship: food, clothes, tools and materials. They start building a camp near the beach and bemoan the fact that they are stuck on an island without women. But as the weeks pass, they begin the relish the absence of women and call the island an "Eveless Eden".
Then one day the men start seeing what look like huge birds flying high in the sky, but when the "birds" come closer they realise that they are five beautiful winged-women. Suddenly the men are interested in women again and change the island's name to "Angel Island". Over time the women gradually come closer and start following the men around, who quickly fall in love with the women and name them Julia (their leader), Lulu, Chiquita, Clara and Peachy. But the men become frustrated by the women's aloofness and how easily they frighten, and decide to capture them, saying that they need pampering and protection. Once caught the men subdue the frightened women and cut off their wings. The women, who cannot walk on their small, delicate feet, are now completely helpless. The men quickly win their hearts by showering them with gifts and attention, and teach them English. The men and women pair off and four of them marry; Julia resists this temptation. With the women now domesticated, the men start paying less attention to them and spend long periods inland building a new camp near the lake. The women, who cannot fly, nor walk any distance, are stuck in the camp near the beach.
With plenty of time on their hands, the women reminisce on how it was when they could fly. Back home, the five women, led by Julia, had rebelled when their people decided to migrate south, and flew north instead. They found Angel Island, deserted and inviting. Then the men came and the women were fascinated by these wingless creatures. They followed them, teased them, and then made the mistake of falling in love with them, resulting in their capture. The women long to fly again, but the men keep their wings clipped. Soon each of the women bears a child, four wingless boys, and a winged-girl, Angela. As Angela grows up she starts flying and the women are delighted. The men, however, are not so happy and announce that when Angela is older they will cut her wings. The women have accepted their own fate, but decide to put aside their "appealing helplessness" and stand up for Angela.
While the men are working at the new camp each day, the women teach themselves how to walk. When their feet are strong enough, they trek to the new camp one day, unannounced and much to the surprise of the men. Julia presents the men with an ultimatum, let Angela keep her wings, or we will leave the island with the children. The men laugh and remind them that they cannot fly. But the women, with wing stumps that have grown since their last clipping, take off and fly (not very gracefully) over the lake. The men, horrified at the prospect of losing their women, beg them to return and promise not to cut Angela's wings. Things change on Angel Island, and the men have a new respect for the women. Not only do they honor their promise about Angela's wings, they stop clipping the women's wings. Julia decides to marry and her final triumph comes years later on her death bed when she gives birth to a son with wings.
The winged-women, named by the men:
described Angel Island as "a decidedly unusual book" saying that it is "part allegory, part fairy tale, part realistic". The review praised Gillmore for her treatment of the sexes, saying that she does not disparage one at the expense of the other. It added that much of the text is on a "high poetic level", and that it is a novel of "sound, prosaic truths" and "high ideals and beautiful imaginings". Science fiction and fantasy author Ursula K. Le Guin
in her introduction to the 1988 edition of the book reminded the reader that at the time of its original publication in 1914, women could not vote. She wrote that the book is a "real discovery", and described it as "romantic, satiric, funny, fanciful, and a good read".
Eric Leif Davin in Partners in Wonder: Women and the Birth of Science Fiction, 1926-1965 described Angel Island is a "radical feminist Swiftian
fantasy". Angel Islands entry in Science-fiction, the Early Years described it as a "sexual Robinsonade
with a strong element of allegory". It said that while on the surface the novel is "commercial desert-island fiction", it is an allegorical story of women's freedom. Andrea Kempf wrote in Shared Lives: Women Who Wrote for Women that Gillmore's book, using wings as a metaphor, "soars". Kempf said that while Gillmore's men and women are stereotypes, the women rise above their moodiness and rebel when their children are threatened. Jane L. Donawerth wrote in Utopian and Science Fiction by Women: Worlds of Difference that she is not convinced of Julia's "greatest glory" at the end of Angel Island. She said that Julia is the "strongest, smartest character" in the novel, but felt that when she decides to marry, she too became domesticated.
Feminist Science Fiction, Fantasy, & Utopia said in a review of the book that as "a fantasy written by a feminist", Angel Island is important, but felt that the women were too complicit in their own mistreatment. The novel's stereotypic typecasting of men (aggressive with intellectual drive) and women (vain and coy) appear "jarring and sexist to modern readers", but those were the "unstated assumptions of 19th century US", and the women on Angel Island confront and overcome them. The review concluded that it is a worthwhile read because of its "subtle liberal feminist insistence that regardless of our gender, we all have a right to fulfil our potential — to fly".
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
/fantasy
Fantasy
Fantasy is a genre of fiction that commonly uses magic and other supernatural phenomena as a primary element of plot, theme, or setting. Many works within the genre take place in imaginary worlds where magic is common...
novel by American feminist author, journalist and suffragette
Suffragette
"Suffragette" is a term coined by the Daily Mail newspaper as a derogatory label for members of the late 19th and early 20th century movement for women's suffrage in the United Kingdom, in particular members of the Women's Social and Political Union...
Inez Haynes Irwin
Inez Haynes Irwin
Inez Haynes Irwin was an American feminist author, journalist, member of the National Women's Party, and president of the Authors Guild. Many of her works were published under her former name Inez Haynes Gillmore. She wrote over 40 books and was active in the suffragist movement in the early 1900s...
, writing under the name Inez Haynes Gillmore. It was originally published by Henry Holt in January 1914. The novel is about a group of men shipwrecked on an island occupied by winged-women.
Angel Island was reprinted in the February 1949 issue of Famous Fantastic Mysteries
Famous Fantastic Mysteries
Famous Fantastic Mysteries was a fantasy fiction magazine offering reprints of science-fiction and fantasy classics from earlier decades. It ran from 1939 to 1953 for a total of 81 issues....
, and again in 1978 by Arno Press. In 1988 in was republished by Plume as a "classic of early feminist literature" with an introductory essay by science fiction and fantasy author Ursula K. Le Guin
Ursula K. Le Guin
Ursula Kroeber Le Guin is an American author. She has written novels, poetry, children's books, essays, and short stories, notably in fantasy and science fiction...
.
Plot summary
Five men are shipwrecked on an island in the Pacific OceanPacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south, bounded by Asia and Australia in the west, and the Americas in the east.At 165.2 million square kilometres in area, this largest division of the World...
while en route from America to the Orient. They are the only survivors, and their chances of being rescued are remote as a storm had driven their ship into uncharted waters before smashing it against rocks. The island is 20 miles long by 7 miles wide, and densely wooded with a freshwater lake in the center. After coming to terms with their predicament, the men begin collecting what they can from washed-up wreckage from the ship: food, clothes, tools and materials. They start building a camp near the beach and bemoan the fact that they are stuck on an island without women. But as the weeks pass, they begin the relish the absence of women and call the island an "Eveless Eden".
Then one day the men start seeing what look like huge birds flying high in the sky, but when the "birds" come closer they realise that they are five beautiful winged-women. Suddenly the men are interested in women again and change the island's name to "Angel Island". Over time the women gradually come closer and start following the men around, who quickly fall in love with the women and name them Julia (their leader), Lulu, Chiquita, Clara and Peachy. But the men become frustrated by the women's aloofness and how easily they frighten, and decide to capture them, saying that they need pampering and protection. Once caught the men subdue the frightened women and cut off their wings. The women, who cannot walk on their small, delicate feet, are now completely helpless. The men quickly win their hearts by showering them with gifts and attention, and teach them English. The men and women pair off and four of them marry; Julia resists this temptation. With the women now domesticated, the men start paying less attention to them and spend long periods inland building a new camp near the lake. The women, who cannot fly, nor walk any distance, are stuck in the camp near the beach.
With plenty of time on their hands, the women reminisce on how it was when they could fly. Back home, the five women, led by Julia, had rebelled when their people decided to migrate south, and flew north instead. They found Angel Island, deserted and inviting. Then the men came and the women were fascinated by these wingless creatures. They followed them, teased them, and then made the mistake of falling in love with them, resulting in their capture. The women long to fly again, but the men keep their wings clipped. Soon each of the women bears a child, four wingless boys, and a winged-girl, Angela. As Angela grows up she starts flying and the women are delighted. The men, however, are not so happy and announce that when Angela is older they will cut her wings. The women have accepted their own fate, but decide to put aside their "appealing helplessness" and stand up for Angela.
While the men are working at the new camp each day, the women teach themselves how to walk. When their feet are strong enough, they trek to the new camp one day, unannounced and much to the surprise of the men. Julia presents the men with an ultimatum, let Angela keep her wings, or we will leave the island with the children. The men laugh and remind them that they cannot fly. But the women, with wing stumps that have grown since their last clipping, take off and fly (not very gracefully) over the lake. The men, horrified at the prospect of losing their women, beg them to return and promise not to cut Angela's wings. Things change on Angel Island, and the men have a new respect for the women. Not only do they honor their promise about Angela's wings, they stop clipping the women's wings. Julia decides to marry and her final triumph comes years later on her death bed when she gives birth to a son with wings.
Major characters
The ship-wrecked men:- Frank Merrill – self appointed leader of the men; a professor of a small mid-West university and a solitary person; believes women should not receive any special treatment
- Honey Smith – a businessman in partnership with Billy Fairfax; not that smart but very popular, particularly with women; believes women should be spoiled and pampered
- Pete Murphy – an Irish writer, clever, but has a weakness for women's charm; believes women are angels and should be worshipped
- Billy Fairfax – a businessman in partnership with Honey Smith; lacking charm, but in possession of a huge fortune; believes women should be cherished and protected
- Ralph Addington – a salesman with a strong personality; tends to be course and arrogant; believes women should be tamed, subjugated and controlled
The winged-women, named by the men:
- Julia – Billy Fairfax's wife and leader of the women; silver winged and "heroic" and "clear-sighted"; dubbed "the quiet one" by the men
- Lulu – Honey Smith's wife; orange winged and "chattering"; dubbed "the plain one"
- Chiquita – Frank Merrill's wife; scarlet winged and "lazy" and "voluptuous"; dubbed "the dark one"
- Clara – Pete Murphy's wife; green and gold winged and "excitement-craving"; dubbed "the thin one"
- Peachy – Ralph Addington's wife; blue winged and "poetic"; dubbed "the peachy one"
Reception and analysis
A 1914 review in The New York TimesThe New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
described Angel Island as "a decidedly unusual book" saying that it is "part allegory, part fairy tale, part realistic". The review praised Gillmore for her treatment of the sexes, saying that she does not disparage one at the expense of the other. It added that much of the text is on a "high poetic level", and that it is a novel of "sound, prosaic truths" and "high ideals and beautiful imaginings". Science fiction and fantasy author Ursula K. Le Guin
Ursula K. Le Guin
Ursula Kroeber Le Guin is an American author. She has written novels, poetry, children's books, essays, and short stories, notably in fantasy and science fiction...
in her introduction to the 1988 edition of the book reminded the reader that at the time of its original publication in 1914, women could not vote. She wrote that the book is a "real discovery", and described it as "romantic, satiric, funny, fanciful, and a good read".
Eric Leif Davin in Partners in Wonder: Women and the Birth of Science Fiction, 1926-1965 described Angel Island is a "radical feminist Swiftian
Jonathan Swift
Jonathan Swift was an Irish satirist, essayist, political pamphleteer , poet and cleric who became Dean of St...
fantasy". Angel Islands entry in Science-fiction, the Early Years described it as a "sexual Robinsonade
Robinsonade
Robinsonade is a literary genre that takes its name from the 1719 novel Robinson Crusoe by Daniel Defoe. The success of this novel spawned enough imitations that its name was used to define a genre, which is sometimes described simply as a "desert island story"...
with a strong element of allegory". It said that while on the surface the novel is "commercial desert-island fiction", it is an allegorical story of women's freedom. Andrea Kempf wrote in Shared Lives: Women Who Wrote for Women that Gillmore's book, using wings as a metaphor, "soars". Kempf said that while Gillmore's men and women are stereotypes, the women rise above their moodiness and rebel when their children are threatened. Jane L. Donawerth wrote in Utopian and Science Fiction by Women: Worlds of Difference that she is not convinced of Julia's "greatest glory" at the end of Angel Island. She said that Julia is the "strongest, smartest character" in the novel, but felt that when she decides to marry, she too became domesticated.
Feminist Science Fiction, Fantasy, & Utopia said in a review of the book that as "a fantasy written by a feminist", Angel Island is important, but felt that the women were too complicit in their own mistreatment. The novel's stereotypic typecasting of men (aggressive with intellectual drive) and women (vain and coy) appear "jarring and sexist to modern readers", but those were the "unstated assumptions of 19th century US", and the women on Angel Island confront and overcome them. The review concluded that it is a worthwhile read because of its "subtle liberal feminist insistence that regardless of our gender, we all have a right to fulfil our potential — to fly".