FLATLAND DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
Chapters 1-4
1. How does the image of a penny on a table
help readers visualize Flatland?
Answer: It gives an example of the view of the flatlanders.
2. How do the shapes of Flatland’s inhabitants
reflect their social status?
Answer: the more angles they have the better social status they have
3. Flatland’s citizens can recognize another person’s status immediately by his or her shape.
Compare this with the ways people in our
society recognize others’ status.
Answer: In our society, people recognize other statuses by what clothes you are wearing, by your looks, or simply if you have money or not.
Chapters 5-8
4. Why is recognizing another person by sight
a difficult task in Flatland?
Answer: Because they all look like straight lines.
5. Describe three methods that an inhabitant
of Flatland can use to recognize another
inhabitant.
Answer: Hearing each other, feeling each other, seeing each other
6. Do you think Abbott created Flatland in
order to satirize modern society or to model
a utopian world? Explain your answer
Answer: yes, since we also criticise other people by their looks, likes, and simply because we dont like who they are
Chapters 9-12
7. How does the Universal Colour Bill affect
life in Flatland?
Answer: it led onto a fight
8. How is “Chromatic Sedition” finally suppressed? What kinds of real-world events
does this episode satirize?
Answer: it relates to bloody sunday.
Chapters 13-15
9. How are Flatland and Lineland similar?
How are they different?
Answer: they are both similar because women have 1 dimension less than men
they are different because flatland is 2D and lineland is 1D
10. Why does the narrator have difficulty
explaining the two-dimensional world of
Flatland to the King of Lineland?
Answer: because the king only knows of 1 dimension
11. Why do you think Abbott introduces
Lineland to the reader before the visitor
from Spaceland arrives?
Answer: So he can explain it in a better perspective.
Chapters 16-18
12. How does the Sphere finally help the narrator understand the nature of Spaceland and
three dimensions?
Answer: Gives him examples of spaceland
13. How does the character of the narrator
change after he visits Spaceland?
Answer: he changes from to lively and passionate
Chapters 19-22
14. How do the inhabitants of Flatland respond
to the narrator’s tales?
Answer: throw him in jail
Chapters 1-4
1. How does the image of a penny on a table
help readers visualize Flatland?
Answer: It gives an example of the view of the flatlanders.
2. How do the shapes of Flatland’s inhabitants
reflect their social status?
Answer: the more angles they have the better social status they have
3. Flatland’s citizens can recognize another person’s status immediately by his or her shape.
Compare this with the ways people in our
society recognize others’ status.
Answer: In our society, people recognize other statuses by what clothes you are wearing, by your looks, or simply if you have money or not.
Chapters 5-8
4. Why is recognizing another person by sight
a difficult task in Flatland?
Answer: Because they all look like straight lines.
5. Describe three methods that an inhabitant
of Flatland can use to recognize another
inhabitant.
Answer: Hearing each other, feeling each other, seeing each other
6. Do you think Abbott created Flatland in
order to satirize modern society or to model
a utopian world? Explain your answer
Answer: yes, since we also criticise other people by their looks, likes, and simply because we dont like who they are
Chapters 9-12
7. How does the Universal Colour Bill affect
life in Flatland?
Answer: it led onto a fight
8. How is “Chromatic Sedition” finally suppressed? What kinds of real-world events
does this episode satirize?
Answer: it relates to bloody sunday.
Chapters 13-15
9. How are Flatland and Lineland similar?
How are they different?
Answer: they are both similar because women have 1 dimension less than men
they are different because flatland is 2D and lineland is 1D
10. Why does the narrator have difficulty
explaining the two-dimensional world of
Flatland to the King of Lineland?
Answer: because the king only knows of 1 dimension
11. Why do you think Abbott introduces
Lineland to the reader before the visitor
from Spaceland arrives?
Answer: So he can explain it in a better perspective.
Chapters 16-18
12. How does the Sphere finally help the narrator understand the nature of Spaceland and
three dimensions?
Answer: Gives him examples of spaceland
13. How does the character of the narrator
change after he visits Spaceland?
Answer: he changes from to lively and passionate
Chapters 19-22
14. How do the inhabitants of Flatland respond
to the narrator’s tales?
Answer: throw him in jail