Herland and Puritanism

While the three male scientists in this book represent the more rationalistic side of literature, the women's city reflects puritanism.  It is on top of a hill, and they are trying to make sense of the world, what they don't know, which could represent God in that they see the world as something to admire, worship, and fear.
This city on a hill view of the women's community fits in with Puritanism in that it looks fancy and has many amenities that make it stand out as better.  In chapter 2, the road is described as "some sort of hard manufactured stuff, sloped slightly to shed rain, with every curve and grade and gutter as perfect as if it were Europe's best," which makes it seem as if the city is going to rival Europe's best, which is a huge deal.
Later in that chapter, evidence of the city on a hill view of the community are evident in the men's description that states: "here was evidently a people highly skilled, efficient, caring for their country as a florist cares for his costliest orchids. Under the soft brilliant blue of that clear sky, in the pleasant shade of those endless rows of trees, we walked unharmed, the placid silence broken only by the birds."  This not only makes the village seem peaceful and serene, but well groomed and magnificent.
The way Puritans viewed God, as a being they did not understand yet one whom they feared and revered, is the same way in which the women of the village viewed outside civilization.  They do not understand it yet are still fascinated by it and try to learn as much as they can about it.  Women teach the men about their culture so they can learn more about theirs.  The women respect the scientists in the same way they hope the men respect them because they want to be in their good graces.
While the men represent the more Rational side of literature, which is a stark contrast to Puritanism, they fear and revere the women and their society much as Puritans did God.