Flatland And The Hunger Games: Literary Analysis

"Our whole social system is based upon Regularity, or Equality” (Abbott 23). Flatland: A Romance of Many Dimensions by Edwin A. Abbott and The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins are both books that were later turned into movies. Flatland involves an upper class square, A. Square, and his adventure through different dimensions set in a representational society of nineteenth century England. Meanwhile, The Hunger Games contains the journey a poor girl from District 12 named Katniss Everdeen, who is left to the mercy of the Capital. Although both Flatland and The Hunger Games are two completely different books, they both share similar hierarchical aspects.
Each book contains some form of a hierarchical structure in their society. In Flatland, the

human figures in the second dimension are separated into different classes based on the number of sides one has.

The lowest class of workmen and the soldiers are made up of Irregular Triangles, or Isosceles as A. Square refers to them. The middle class contains entirely Equilateral Triangles, while the upper class, the professional men, consists of Squares and Pentagons. The nobility, however are Six-Sided plus Polygons, with Circles being the absolute highest class as Priests. Each Polygon cannot increase ones status; however, their children can as stated by the Law of Nature. “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” (Abbott 7). In The Hunger Games, the nation of Panem is divided into twelve distinct districts and the Capital. Citizens are to remain in their district and therefore cannot move to a different one. Depending on which district you live in, depends on how wealthy you are. The Capital is the highest

form of living where their leader President Snow, lives. The districts that are positioned closest to the Capital are wealthier than the districts positioned further away. With that being said, Districts 1, 2, and 4 are considered part of the wealthy upper class and Districts 10, 11, and 12 are part of the poor lower class. Each district is required to produce specific goods dictated by the Capital. For instance, District 1 makes luxury items, District 2 deals with masonry, and District 12, where Katniss is from, is the coal mining industry. Therefore unlike Flatland, Panem’s hierarchical society is not separated by classes of being, but by districts.
At the beginning of each book, there was a rebellion mentioned from past history that had a major impact on the society. In Flatland, A. Square spoke of what they call, the Color Revolution. A Pentagon named Chromatistes discovered how to create color and “it is said to have begun decorating first his house, then his slaves, then his Father, his Sons, and Grandsons, lastly himself” (Abbott 26). Through the invention of color, Polygons could paint themselves and no longer needed to “feel” one another and therefore everyone could use Sight Recognition. This however threatened society since Sight Recognition was originally only used by the upper class and “feeling” one another was only used by the lower class. The new fashion statement spread throughout Flatland and soon nearly everyone was painting themselves. Later the Universal Color Bill was presented, and although never passed, it required all classes including the Women and Circles to paint themselves. However this became a problem when the Women were painted the same colors as the Circles and hence people had trouble differentiating between the two. The Women were all for the bill at first since they could receive higher privileges when thought to be a Circle. The Circles on the other hand, were not for the bill for this again threatened society. The Women soon changed their minds after a lower class Polygon painted himself to look like an upper class Polygon and therefore tricking one noble Woman into thinking she was marrying a high class man. This leads to an uproar where the Circles attack Chromatistes and the Soldiers, who are no match for the Women, are defeated. Through these events, the Color Bill was destroyed and color has hence forth become illegal. In the beginning of The Hunger Games, Katniss explains how North America was hit with many natural disasters like drought, and rising sea levels that took over much of the land. Through it all, the Capital along with thirteen districts rose from the ashes like a phoenix and later came what they call the Dark Days. These are the days when all thirteen districts rebelled against the Capital. Not much is said except the fact that twelve districts were defeated and District 13 was completely demolished. The Capital then countered with the Treaty of Treason. “The Treaty of Treason gave us new laws to guarantee peace and, as our yearly reminder that the Dark Days must never be repeated, it gave us the Hunger Games” (Collins 18). The Hunger Games were created as a result of the districts’ rebellion, just as color became illegal due to the Color Rebellion.
In most societies there are elements that can be quite barbaric. As mentioned in the last paragraph, the Hunger Games were created as punishment to the districts for the uprising. “Each of the twelve districts must provide one girl and one boy, called tributes to participate…Over a period of several weeks, the competitors must fight to the death. The last tribute standing wins” (Collins 18). And if that was not disturbing enough, the Capital forces the districts to make a big celebration of it and watch the children slaughter one another. The people of the Capital think it is all good fun, like how we watch the Olympics. They believe the Hunger Games are a great way to show how merciful they have been to the districts and also to remind the districts that if they dare to defy the Capital again, they will surely end up like District 13. Flatland also has some barbaric parts presented in the book with the treatment of the Irregulars. “The Irregular is from his birth scouted by his own parents, derided by his brothers and sisters, neglected by the domestics, scorned and suspected by society, and excluded from all posts of responsibility, trust, and useful activity.” (Flatland 24). Later when “he comes of age and presents himself for inspection; then he is either destroyed, if he is found to exceed the fixed margin of deviation, or else immured in a Government Office as a clerk of the seventh class, prevented from marriage; forced to drudge at an uninteresting occupation for a miserable stipend; obliged to live and board at the office, and to take even his vacation under close supervision; what wonder that human nature, even in the best and purest, is embittered and perverted by such surroundings!” (Flatland 24). The people of Flatland treat the Irregulars like they are some kind despicable monster and are the lowest form a human could be. It has come to a point where some States in Flatland even allow the execution of an Irregular figure soon after birth just because it does not fit the required angularity. This is a sad truth to face considering the poor Irregular figure never even had a chance at life. Like A. Square said “Some of our highest and ablest men, men of real genius, have during their earliest days laboured under deviations as great as, or even greater than forty-five minutes: and the loss of their precious lives would have been an irreparable injury to the State.” (Flatland 25). Who knows what the Irregular figures could have accomplished in their life, if they only had a chance. The life of an Irregular in Flatland and the Hunger Games for the people of Panem are both unfair and unjust parts of society.
In a hierarchical society, things are ran a certain way.

And when someone challenges against the ways of the society, the effects could be severe. In part of A. Square’s adventure, a Sphere comes down from 3-D Spaceland into 2-D Flatland. The Sphere informs him that every millennium a member from Spaceland travels to Flatland in order to provide and teach information about the third dimension. At first, A. Square believes everything the Sphere says is totally preposterous. However, after he is forced into Spaceland, A. Square begins to see the truth in the Sphere’s words. While he is in Spaceland, he and the Sphere are able to observe a secret meeting of the High Council. The Sphere crashes the meeting preaching about the third dimension. The Council reacts by creating a proclamation that states that prohibits anyone from teaching the real truth of the third dimension and Spaceland. It is because of this proclamation, that many people are killed or imprisoned. Unfortunately, A. Square’s brother B. Square is one of the many who are imprisoned. After obtaining his new found knowledge from the Sphere, A. Square tries to explain it all to the Council and without any luck, he too is imprisoned for his so called act of defiance against the High Council. While in prison, he tries to a least get his brother to understand the third dimension, but had no luck. After seven years of imprisonment, A. Square writes the knowledge he received from the Sphere in the book Flatland. Although

he hopes future generations will read it, his ideas never make it out into the public. During Katniss’ journey, she is faced with monumental decision. Earlier in the games, the Gamemakers announced a rule change that “both tributes from the same district will be declared winners if they are the last ones alive” (Collins 244). The only ones left alive in the Games are herself and Peeta, the boy from her district who was chosen to compete in the Games with Katniss. They should, according to the rule change, both be declared victors. However, the Gamemakers then announce that the previous rule change has now been revoked and that only one victor is allowed. This infuriates Katniss, for she has no interest in killing Peeta, as does Peeta has no interest in killing Katniss. From her pocket, Katniss takes out poisonous Nightlock berries and gives Peeta half. She is so mad at the Capitol, she believes that they if Peeta and herself cannot both be victors, then they should not have a victor at all. By the count of three, she and Peeta are to eat the berries together. However, just before they get they are able to put the berries in their mouth, the Gamemakers announce they are both victors of the Seventy-fourth Hunger Games. The Capitol let’s just say, was not happy about her little act of defiance. They did not like that a poor sixteen year old girl from District 12 showed them up and even worse than that, she sparked a rebellious wave throughout the districts. Katniss’ act defied the Capitol, just as A. Square defied the High Council by speaking of Spaceland, and both acts resulted in remarkable effects.
Flatland: A Romance of Many Dimensions by Edwin A. Abbott is a novel about how A. Square’s mind was expanded after being visited by a stranger from another dimension. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins is the story of a girl whose life gets turned upside down after having to compete in the Hunger Games. Even though Flatland and The Hunger Games are two distinct books, the hierarchical aspects are remarkably similar.