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Flatland1FlatlandbyEdwinA.Abbott1884Flatland2PART1THISWORLDSECTION1OftheNatureofFlatlandIcallourworldFlatland,notbecausewecallitso,buttomakeitsnatureclearertoyou,myhappyreaders,whoareprivilegedtoliveinSpace.ImagineavastsheetofpaperonwhichstraightLines,Triangles,Squares,Pentagons,Hexagons,andotherfigures,insteadofremainingfixedintheirplaces,movefreelyabout,onorinthesurface,butwithoutthepowerofrisingaboveorsinkingbelowit,verymuchlikeshadows--onlyhardwithluminousedges--andyouwillthenhaveaprettycorrectnotionofmycountryandcountrymen.Alas,afewyearsago,Ishouldhavesaidmyuniverse:butnowmymindhasbeenopenedtohigherviewsofthings.Insuchacountry,youwillperceiveatoncethatitisimpossiblethatthereshouldbeanythingofwhatyoucallasolidkind;butIdaresayyouwillsupposethatwecouldatleastdistinguishbysighttheTriangles,Squares,andotherfigures,movingaboutasIhavedescribedthem.Onthecontrary,wecouldseenothingofthekind,notatleastsoastodistinguishonefigurefromanother.Nothingwasvisible,norcouldbevisible,tous,exceptStraightLines;andthenecessityofthisIwillspeedilydemonstrate.PlaceapennyonthemiddleofoneofyourtablesinSpace;andleaningoverit,lookdownuponit.Itwillappearacircle.Butnow,drawingbacktotheedgeofthetable,graduallyloweryoureye(thusbringingyourselfmoreandmoreintotheconditionoftheinhabitantsofFlatland),andyouwillfindthepennybecomingmoreandmoreovaltoyourview,andatlastwhenyouhaveplacedyoureyeexactlyontheedgeofthetable(sothatyouare,asitwere,actuallyaFlatlander)Flatland3thepennywillthenhaveceasedtoappearovalatall,andwillhavebecome,sofarasyoucansee,astraightline.ThesamethingwouldhappenifyouweretotreatinthesamewayaTriangle,oraSquare,oranyotherfigurecutoutfrompasteboard.Assoonasyoulookatitwithyoureyeontheedgeofthetable,youwillfindthatitceasestoappeartoyouasafigure,andthatitbecomesinappearanceastraightline.TakeforexampleanequilateralTriangle--whorepresentswithusaTradesmanoftherespectableclass.Figure1representstheTradesmanasyouwouldseehimwhileyouwerebendingoverhimfromabove;figures2and3representtheTradesman,asyouwouldseehimifyoureyewereclosetothelevel,orallbutonthelevelofthetable;andifyoureyewerequiteonthelevelofthetable(andthatishowweseehiminFlatland)youwouldseenothingbutastraightline.WhenIwasinSpacelandIheardthatyoursailorshaveverysimilarexperienceswhiletheytraverseyourseasanddiscernsomedistantislandorcoastlyingonthehorizon.Thefar-offlandmayhavebays,forelands,anglesinandouttoanynumberandextent;yetatadistanceyouseenoneofthese(unlessindeedyoursunshinesbrightuponthemrevealingtheprojectionsandretirementsbymeansoflightandshade),nothingbutagreyunbrokenlineuponthewater.Well,thatisjustwhatweseewhenoneofourtriangularorotheracquaintancescomestowardsusinFlatland.Asthereisneithersunwithus,noranylightofsuchakindastomakeshadows,wehavenoneofthehelpstothesightthatyouhaveinSpaceland.Ifourfriendcomesclosertousweseehislinebecomeslarger;ifheleavesusitbecomessmaller;butstillhelookslikeastraightline;beheaTriangle,Square,Pentagon,Hexagon,Circle,whatyouwill--astraightLinehelooksandnothingelse.Youmayperhapsaskhowunderthesedisadvantagouscircumstancesweareabletodistinguishourfriendsfromoneanother:buttheanswertothisverynaturalquestionwillbemorefitlyandeasilygivenwhenIcometodescribetheinhabitantsofFlatland.Forthepresentletmedeferthissubject,andsayawordortwoabouttheclimateandhousesinourcountry.Flatland4SECTION2OftheClimateandHousesinFlatlandAswithyou,soalsowithus,therearefourpointsofthecompassNorth,South,East,andWest.Therebeingnosunnorotherheavenlybodies,itisimpossibleforustodeterminetheNorthintheusualway;butwehaveamethodofourown.ByaLawofNaturewithus,thereisaconstantattractiontotheSouth;and,althoughintemperateclimatesthisisveryslight--sothatevenaWomaninreasonablehealthcanjourneyseveralfurlongsnorthwardwithoutmuchdifficulty--yetthehamperingeffortofthesouthwardattractionisquitesufficienttoserveasacompassinmostpartsofourearth.Moreover,therain(whichfallsatstatedintervals)comingalwaysfromtheNorth,isanadditionalassistance;andinthetownswehavetheguidanceofthehouses,whichofcoursehavetheirside-wallsrunningforthemostpartNorthandSouth,sothattheroofsmaykeepofftherainfromtheNorth.Inthecountry,wheretherearenohouses,thetrunksofthetreesserveassomesortofguide.Altogether,wehavenotsomuchdifficultyasmightbeexpectedindeterminingourbearings.Yetinourmoretemperateregions,inwhichthesouthwardattractionishardlyfelt,walkingsometimesinaperfectlydesolateplainwheretherehavebeennohousesnortreestoguideme,Ihavebeenoccasionallycompelledtoremainstationaryforhourstogether,waitingtilltheraincamebeforecontinuingmyjourney.Ontheweakandaged,andespeciallyondelicateFemales,theforceofattractiontellsmuchmoreheavilythanontherobustoftheMaleSex,sothatitisapointofbreeding,ifyoumeetaLadyonthestreet,alwaystogivehertheNorthsideoftheway--bynomeansaneasythingtodoalwaysatshortnoticewhenyouareinrudehealthandinaclimatewhereitisdifficulttotellyourNorthfromyourSouth.Windowstherearenoneinourhouses:forthelightcomestousalikeFlatland5inourhomesandoutofthem,bydayandbynight,equallyatalltimesandinallplaces,whenceweknownot.Itwasinolddays,withourle