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Yes, the Victorian era in which Abbott was writing included repressive attitudes, but even contemporary reviewers were taken aback by Abbott’s characterisation of women. Perhaps just as galling, the description of women as unintelligent yet dangerous serves very little narrative purpose, and distracts from and undermines the more useful elements of the book.

"https://medium.com/@BlackHoleBooks/a-matter-of-perspective-edwin-a-abbotts-flatland-e2c637177e37"

?!!??!?!?!?!? You got paid to write this as an adult getting paid money!!! How is the point flying over your head this far???

oh good the two comment people left on the article are also pointing this out.

Peter Lowe commented

about 5 years ago (edited)

I generally agree with this take, except the interpretation about women. Those who take offense to this aspect of the book miss the point of his satire of Victorian society.

Just as we wouldn’t commend the flatlander insistence that virtue is exclusively the result of good breeding instead of being within the domain of the individual to control (and a number of other jabs Abbott makes at the society of his time), so his characterization of women as being deplorable and despicable creatures in the society of flatland is also very clearly tongue in cheek and not meant to be agreed with by the reader.

If you still aren’t convinced, just consider this quote from the sphere: “Yet many of the best and wisest in Spaceland think more of the affections than of the understanding, more of your despised Straight Lines than of your belauded Circles.” So if the being with greater understanding inverts the social order to place straight lines (women) above circles (the chiefest of of men), in addition to inverting many of the core beliefs of the simple flatlanders, then isn’t it clear that we are to as well? (Given that we also belong to the enlightened realm of “Spaceland”) But seriously, we shouldn’t be so brittle about gender. Those who misread the satire as biting the opposite direction from its intention unflatteringly fall victim to their emotions and miss the point of what is actually meant to be conveyed (ahh, irony). At the time this was written (1884), this piece would certainly have been understood as a pointed satire of Victorian society’s oppressive gender norms and not as a ridicule of women themselves. In this case, I have to suggest using logic over emotion (as the circle would not suggest) in order to fully understand this fabulous book ;)

John Poet commented

almost 4 years ago

I have an animation that illustrates Abbott’s likely view of women as more superior than men — —

Youtube address for phone friendly flatland video— “Her Story” — ->> https://youtu.be/q_kcP9OOK2E

(it's a powerpoint slide)

the youtube video is also missing the point lol.

Edit: oh my gods the youtube video is genuinely proposing that Women of Flatland are secretly smart not because the men are just wrong and lying, but because the Women are secretly telepathic, and real women (by which this person I have absolutely no doubt means only AFAB people) in the real world are telepathic and soon will have a planet wide hive mind of Women because um. Women are in constant spiritual communion with one another ?!?!?!? >.>

"Are the women of Flatland really as stupid as the misogynstic narrator says??? No!! Of course not!!! They're secretly telepathic!!!!"

#cap lock #oh my gods #Rjalker reads Flatland a Romance of Many Dimensions #Flatland #UHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

I'M BACCCCCCKKKK HI!!!

HIIIIIIIII !!!!!!! Welcome back Skylight !!!

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