# Flatland explained — Flatland

> Chapter companion for Flatland by Edwin A. Abbott.

## What happens

The Square introduces the world of Flatland, a two-dimensional plane inhabited by geometric figures, and explains its social hierarchy, where polygons are ranked by the number of their sides and women are represented as straight lines.

## Themes in this chapter

### Social Hierarchy and Class

Flatland's rigid caste system based on the number of sides, with Circles at the top and Isosceles at the bottom.

### Gender and Patriarchy

Women are depicted as straight lines, nearly invisible and subject to strict rules, reflecting patriarchal attitudes.

## Character check-ins

### The Narrator (A Square)

The narrator and protagonist, a Square who describes the nature and customs of Flatland.

### The Circles

The highest social class in Flatland, considered priests and nearly perfect.

### The Isosceles

The lowest class of soldiers and workmen, with sharp angles and limited intelligence.

## Key lines

> I call our world Flatland, not because we call it so, but to make its nature clearer to you, my happy readers, who are privileged to live in Space.

The narrator names his world Flatland to help readers in three-dimensional space understand its nature.

_The Square directly addresses readers from Spaceland, establishing the frame of the story._

> Our Women are Straight Lines.

Women in Flatland are represented as straight lines, the simplest and most dangerous shapes.

_Introduces the gender hierarchy and the perceived threat of women due to their sharp points._

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/flatland_se/chapters/flatland
- Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/flatland_se
- All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/flatland_se/chapters