Discussion Questions for
Flatland

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Please read about these questions here.

Are the circles really circles? What does this say about Flatland society? see page 74.

What does A. Square mean when he says, “I can apprehend it by faith.” referring to the third dimension? pg.26

In what ways are the Flatlanders “slaves” to their “respective dimensional prejudices?” In what ways are we? pg. 27

What lies between “This can never be” and “It must needs be precisely thus”? pg 29

How does the “irrepressible and boundless hopefulness of the human mind” “stifle sedition?” pg. 45

Why are women treated so harshly in Flatland? What is Abbott saying about women? Do you think he is a chauvinist pig or is he using satire to criticize chauvinists? Explain.

How does the nobility stop rebellions? Why does it work? pg. 46

How does “sight recognition” work?pg. 62 What is its most necessary ingredient for success?(experience)pg. 64 What does experience provide that theory and study do not?

What did Pantocyclus mean by “Attend to your Configuration?” pg 91. Is this true in our society? Do will, training, education and effort matter? Or are you stuck in your economic and social class?

In the beginning why is the Sphere unable to convince A. Square of the reality of the 3rd dimension? Why is A. Square unable to convince Sphere of the reality of the 4th dimension? Why is A. Square willing to believe in the 4th dimension and Sphere not? Were you convinced?

If seeing is believing why does A. Square say that he can now apprehend the third dimension “by faith.”(see above) Does faith need proof?

What does the Sphere mean when he says, speaking of the point in Pointland, “to be self-contented is to be vile and ignorant and that to aspire is better than to be blindly and impotently happy?”

Why do you think Abbott ends the book with A. Square in prison? What does this mean?

What does A. Square mean by “Upward, not Northward?”

Some critics have asserted that false analogy is the theme of this book. That is that it is dangerous to use analogy to come to conclusions because often those conclusions are based upon faulty analogies. (i.e. just because there is a 3rd dimension, does not mean there is a 4th, 5th, 6th, etc.) What do you think?

What is Flatland about? What do you think Abbott is trying to tell us? Is he trying to tell us anything? Or is this just a fun little science fiction story about triangles and squares and polygons and spheres and points and lines?

Do you think there is another world beyond our own? If so, why? Or why not? Can you prove it either way?

What does this book have to say about knowledge? pg. 131.

©2005-2010 Glen Draeger (all rights reserved)
Millstone Education: World Literature / http://www.millstoneeducation.com/worldLit