Introduction Summary

The novel "Flatland" is an imaginative, delightful novel about the inhabitants of a two dimensional world. A. Square, the narrator of the tale, journeys through lands of no dimension, one dimension, and three dimensions, and learns not only the differences in terms of geometry and mathematics, but also of the social order and the class hierarchy. Through his journey, A. Square becomes convinced of other, yet undiscovered dimensions, but when he attempts to teach his countrymen of such concepts, he is imprisoned. First published in 1884, "Flatland" still holds a charming place in literature, both as an instructional guide to dimensional spaces as well as a barbed, harsh, satiric narrative of the social structure of Victorian society.

Banesh Hoffmann discusses the background of the novel by focusing first on the period in which Flatland was written. Hoffmann notes that while fourth dimensions and the...