Flatland Report

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Flatland Report

Flatland is a satirical novel by Edwin A. Abbott that was published in 1884. The story is about a two-dimensional world inhabited by geometric figures and referred to flatland, the men in the world are polygons with various sides while the women are line segments. The narrator of the story is a square who is a member of a social class of professionals and gentlemen in society. The square dreams of visiting Lineland a one-dimensional world where he is seen as points on a line where he tries to convince them of a two-dimensional world; he is attempted to be killed instead of being let go. Later the narrator gets a visit from a sphere from the three-dimensional world who takes him to his world Spaceland where they educate people from flatland after the square tries to convince the sphere of a fourth dimension he is cut off and when he returns home he is imprisoned for the three-dimension belief. The paper will focus on the themes in the story and my opinions.

To begin with, is the theme of oppression and social hierarchy that is evident in almost all chapters. The depiction of women as line segments while men are polygons is the first oppressive nature that requires women to adhere to a set standard of ideals. In addition, since men are line segments and they can easily stab the men who are polygons they are required to make a particular cry while walking in public and use a separate door when walking in the buildings, any non-adherence to the rules results to death. Also among the men, the social class members are dependent on the number of sides one has where the circle is the highest class with the isosceles being the lowest class. The social mobility is also not available to members across different classes since the sons of polygons who have many sides gain fifty sides more than their gathers while those of the isosceles gain only a half degree in their angles each generation. Additionally, across the whole society, the differentiation of members of the different classes and gender are evident, the women are expected to wiggle when walking to depict they are line segments and not points. There is also the fog that is intended to depict the classes of polygons where those with many sides ascend slowly than those with few sides and the irregular polygons are considered dangerous too since one cannot tell their shape by just looking at the angles. Secondly, another prevalent theme in the book is religion and divinity. In the book we see visits from figures from other dimensions like sphere who was from a three-dimension world, this is a world beyond the one square inhabits just like the religious reveal of a world beyond our own. In the book, the sphere tells the square that they teach people of the two-dimension world this can be interpreted as the teachings from the apostles who have been sent to spread the word to the rest of us. We also see the square when dreaming in the Lineland his attempt on his life as he was trying to convince the monarch of the other-dimensional world and also the sphere on the fourth dimension world they cut him off. Just like religious views where people tend to stop others from sharing their belief making claims that the believes are not true some have been killed for their faith too.

From the two themes in the book, it is evident that the depiction of these differences is also in our society today where we see the members of the upper classes given preferential treatment with those of lower classes being degraded. Just like the author tries to show the harmfulness of the system in the book in our society today most crimes are usually a response to this differentiation and the equality outcry being emphasized. In addition, just like how God today is presented as a supreme being that is unknown and not comprehensive to a human being this us the depiction of the other dimensions too from the novel and as people today who fear and are threatened by the supreme the monarch too in the novel are.

In conclusion, the author’s book is a clear depiction of some issues that are happening in our society, the oppression and social differentiation have been employed in our society where we have the upper and lower classes. Just like in the novel our differences and privileges are very evident from how we are treated to our physical outlook. Also the religious theme we see today most values that are now upheld and because most people do not believe in a supreme power but are also condemn those who believe. While religion is said to be people’s opinion and not a fact the authors have shed light on it just as in our society today. Lastly, just as the author talks of the harmfulness of the two themes, we experience it today where differentiation and poor treatment have led some people to suicide and other harmful behaviors.

Works Cited

Abbott, Edwin A. Flatland. James Leese, Three Sticks Films, 2020, pp. 6-93, http://jimmythreesticks.com/UBStudyGroupsSWFL/flatland.pdf. Accessed 9 Mar 2020.