Editing Flatland (section)

==Social elements==
Men are portrayed as polygons whose [[social status]] is determined by their [[Regular polygon|regularity]] and the number of their sides, with a Circle considered the "perfect" shape. Women are lines, quite fragile but also dangerous, as they can disappear from view and possibly stab someone. To prevent this, they are required by law to sound a "peace-cry" while moving about and to use separate doors from men.

In the world of Flatland, classes are distinguished by the "Art of Hearing", the "Art of Feeling", and the "Art of Sight Recognition". Classes can be distinguished by the sound of one's voice, but the lower classes have more developed vocal organs, enabling them to feign the voice of a Polygon or even a Circle. Feeling, practised by the lower classes and women, determines the configuration of a person by feeling one of its [[Angle|angles]]. The "Art of Sight Recognition", practised by the upper classes, is aided by "Fog", which allows an observer to determine the depth of an object. With this, polygons with sharp angles relative to the observer will fade more rapidly than polygons with more gradual angles. Colour of any kind [[sumptuary law|was banned]] in Flatland after [[Isosceles triangle|Isosceles]] workers painted themselves to impersonate [[Nobility|noble]] Polygons. The Square describes these events, and the ensuing [[class conflict|class war]] at length.

The population of Flatland can "[[Evolution|evolve]]" through the "Law of Nature", which states: "a male child shall have one more side than his father, so that each generation shall rise (as a rule) one step in the scale of development and nobility. Thus the son of a Square is a [[Pentagon]], the son of a Pentagon, a [[Hexagon]]; and so on".

This rule is not the case when dealing with Isosceles Triangles (Soldiers and Workmen) with only two [[Congruence (geometry)|congruent]] sides. The smallest angle of an Isosceles Triangle gains 30 [[Minute and second of arc|arc minutes]] (half a [[Degree (angle)|degree]]) each generation. Additionally, the rule does not seem to apply to many-sided Polygons. For example, the sons of several hundred-sided Polygons will often develop 50 or more sides more than their parents. Furthermore, the angle of an Isosceles Triangle or the number of sides of a (regular) Polygon may be altered during life by deeds or [[Body modification|surgical adjustments]].

An [[equilateral triangle|Equilateral Triangle]] is a member of the [[Artisan|craftsman class]]. Squares and Pentagons are the "gentlemen" class, as doctors, lawyers, and other professions. Hexagons are the lowest rank of nobility, all the way up to (near) Circles, who make up the [[Priestly caste|priest class]]. The higher-order Polygons have much less of a chance of producing sons, preventing Flatland from being overcrowded with noblemen.

Apart from Isosceles Triangles, only regular Polygons are considered until chapter seven of the book when the issue of irregularity, or physical deformity is brought up. In a two-dimensional world, a regular polygon can be identified by a single angle and/or [[vertex (geometry)|vertex]]. To maintain [[Group cohesiveness|social cohesion]], irregularity is to be abhorred, with moral irregularity and criminality cited, "by some" (in the book), as inevitable additional deformities, a sentiment with which the Square concurs. If the error of deviation is above a stated amount, the irregular Polygon faces [[euthanasia]]; if below, he becomes the lowest rank of [[Civil service|civil servant]]. An irregular Polygon is not destroyed at birth, but allowed to develop to see if the irregularity can be "cured" or reduced. If the deformity remains, the irregular is "painlessly and mercifully consumed."<ref>{{citation|last=Abbott|first=Edwin A.|title=Flatland: A Romance of Many Dimensions|year=1952|place=New York|publisher=Dover|orig-year=1884|page=31|edition=6th|isbn=0-486-20001-9}}</ref>