Geometry book gives and in-depth look at a two-dimensional world

By Nina Gonzalez

Date published: 8/28/2008

Combining both creativity and imagination, "Flatland: A Romance of Many Dimensions," written by Edwin A. Abbott, gives readers a different perspective on geometry.

The classic tale, often read by high school students, conveys the idea of dimensions, lines and shapes in a much more engaging way than a mono-tonous geometry textbook would. Beyond just illustrating a land of shapes, it draws the reader into a new world with different laws and dimensions.

It takes readers on a trip through the entrancing world of Flatland, where height does not exist, and only length and width remain. Social status in Flatland is based on the number of sides a shape has. The more sides one has, the higher up it will be.

The story, which is only about 100 pages long, is broken up into two parts: The first is narrated by A. Square, an inhabitant of Flatland, who gives a look into the culture, social structure and laws of Flatland.

The second part follows the narrator as he discovers the unknown--a third dimension that is incomprehensible to him.

Considering that the book was written in 1884, it is evident that the story reflects the society of the time. Its imaginative descriptions cause one to think more about the dimension we live in, see and feel each day.

"Flatland" brings a new lens to readers, allowing them to step into a new land and imagine an extension of the three-dimensional world we know.

Nina Gonzalez is a junior at Stafford High School.

Date published: 8/28/2008