Summary Of Joanna Russ's When It Changed

When It Changed In “When It Changed,” Joanna Russ depicts a utopia of all females and how these women react when a long lost species of males comes to their world. In the story, a male species comes to the planet of Whileaway seeking to combine their male planet with the female planet of Whileaway. The male society is concerned that Whileaway is unnatural and cannot survive for much longer without the presence of males. The males insist that the females need them for survival and both the male and female society could benefit from combining into one society. Although an all-female society may seem unnatural due to the absence of males, I can claim that the female society has become accustomed to the roles that men once played and no longer need a male’s presence in their society. The women have been able to fill the gaps in which they needed men and no longer need the males to achieve a society in which it strives on its own without any outside help. As Janet Evason, a main character, spoke with the males from …show more content…
The men say to the women that sexual equality has been reestablished on earth. Both the women and the men speak of what it means to be unnatural. Katy tells the males they her and Janet are married. The males respond “A good economic arrangement… for working and taking care of the children” (15). He says this because he thinks that this society is unnatural and needs the presence of males. When he says economic arrangement it is an insult towards the women. He is saying that the women do not actually share the bond of marriage but do it to even the load of work. This makes me believe that sexual equality doesn’t exist on earth due to the men making fun and insulting the idea of an all-female society. The women of Whileaway have not gotten rid of fighting but they did get away from discrimination and this is another reason they do not need the men from earth in their