FLATLAND PROJECT

Social classes in Flatland are determined in a fairly simplistic way - the number of sides. The more sides a polygon has, the higher up in society he is. It doesn't matter what the polygon has done with his life, but all aspects of the quality of his life are determined by his number of sides. 

 

Let's start with the straight lines, or the women.

 

Being straight lines, the women are not classified as polygons and are therefore not deemed to be worthy of the class system by the Circle Priests of Flatland. A. Square relates to us the commonplace belief that women, 'in their fits of fury, remember no claims and recognize no distinctions.' It is believed in Flatland that women have no sustained form of memory and live purely in the passion of the moment. They are regarded to be the lower than even the Isosceles triangle, who we will see next.

 

The isosceles triangle is on the next rung of society, being classified as the lowest of the polygons. These triangles compose the working classes as well as the soldiers. Let me reiterate upon the concept of a polygon's destiny here. No matter how brainy one of these isosceles triangles may be, they will be forced into joining the army or a factory. This is the way Flatland is. Going back to Isosceles triangles, it is known that they form a sharp vertex angle.This is why they are used as soldiers. 

 

The equilateral triangle is slightly higher on the society scale than the Isosceles triangle, due to their angle measure being slightly higher. These triangles are the middle class, otherwise known as the merchants and tradesmen. 

 

Our narrator A. Square is part of the next level of society, squares! The squares are lawyers, and according to the book they are also 'professional gentlemen.' 

 

After these simple polygons, the order of the Nobility begins. The Nobility starts with the six-sided figures, or hexagons. As the amount of sides increase from here, so does the level of nobility. After a certain point is reached, they will receive the titile of Polygonal. After this, their number of sides may grow to such a degree that they cannot be seen anymore, and therefore be classified as a circle. The 'circles' are the priests and advisors of Flatland. 

 

Bear in mind that the circles of Flatland are not actually circles. They are merely polygons with a vast amount of sides. 

 

You may ask yourself, "Is it not unfair that a polygon with a low amount of sides is doomed to perform a menial task perpetually?" This is not true. There is a law in Flatland which states that in each generation of figures, the offspring will rise 'one step in the scale of development and nobility.' 

 

For example, if life is begun as a square, then the son of the square will be a pentagon, the son of the pentagon will be a hexagon, and so on and so forth.

 

There is a caveat, obviously. If life is begun as an isosceles triangle, then there is little to no chance of evolving into a better polygon. The law does not hold with these triangles. There is still a slight chance for isosceles triangles, however. Through a convoluted series of intermarriages, it is possible for one of the more intellectual isosceles triangles to slowly, after many generations, eventually have their base angles approximate to that of an equilateral triangle. If this happens, then the Circles will classify this triangle as Equilateral and the law will take effect as usual.