Abbott starts off the next chapter by informing the reader that in Flatland, just like in Spaceland, there are four points of the compass, North, South, East, and West. Since there is no sun in Flatland, they determine the North in an unusual way. You see, in Flatland, there is a constant attraction to the South. Also, another way they determine direction, is by the rain. The rain in Flatland always falls from the North. The force of attraction tells much more heavily on males than females. Therefore, it is a rule that when a man meets a lady in the street, a man must always give them the north side of the street too walk on.
Because there is no sun in Flatland, an often investigated question was, "What is the origin of light?" After many attempts to solve the answer to this question, the Legislature prohibited any study of the origin of light. The narrartor then claims he knows the answer to the question, but no one in Flatland believes him, although he is a well-educated professor, and the very person who introduced the theory of light from Spaceland. After he shows his passionate opinion for the subject, he continues to tell us about the houses in Flatland.
The average house shape in flatland is a Pentagon. Square and Triangle shaped houses are not allowed because their angles are much more pointed, and this is considered a danger. Most houses have a large door for males, and a much smaller door on the other side for women. Some Triangular and Square houses still exist, although they are rare. Square houses used to be permitted, but for towns that had a population of at least ten thousand, the Pentagonal shape was the only allowed house shape by Legislature. Therefore, it is now the most common shape used in Flatland.
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