Flatland Essay (이건희 중 1)

 

 

* 다음은 1개월 정도 사고 훈련을 받은 다인이 쓴 첫 번째 영어 에세이이다. 앞으로 두 세 번 정도 가이드에 따라 에세이를 작성해 본 후 학생 별로 다른 에세이들을 쓰게 된다. 아직 검토가 끝나지 않은 초벌 상태의 에세이임을 밝혀 둔다. 따라서 오타나 어법에 맞지 않는 표현이 들어 있을 수 있다.

 

 

Finding Through Implicated Informations in <FlatLand> by Edwin Abbott Abbott

 

 

Kun Hee Lee (Cheongshim International Academy)

   

There are a lot of things around us. There are desks, pencils, computers, etc. However is there only visible things? We learned that invisible things also exist. How could we believe? There are no empirical evidences. Then I would question to you. Don't you believe invisible things? I think, there is no answer. To give an specific example, in chemistry class, we learn about many molecules. Could we see them? Maybe we could see, with high technique microscopes. We'd never touch them. How could we believe, without seeing with our own eyes. There is book named 'FlatLand' which gives us answer of the question. Before getting to know about this book, let's talk about the author of the book, named Edwin Abbott Abbott.

 

 

 

1. Edwin Abbott Abbott

 

At the time, when Edwin lived, there was tradition in Europe. This tradition was not forced, but many families had. This tradition is marrying between same blood families. Following this tradition, Edwin's parents also have same blood.

 

Abbott was educated at the City of London School. After, he went to St John's College at 1857. He became priest at 1863. After leaving College, he became headmaster of the City of London School for 24 years, until 1889. He retired to enjoy more writings by him self, and invest more time in literary efforts. Because he had a greatness as a educator, he also gave a change in education curriculum. He has been called 'Genius for teaching'.

 

As a scholar, he wrote many literary projects, like Shakespearean Grammar, English Lessons for English People, How to Write Clearly, Bacon and Essex, etc. Between these, the best famous novel is FlatLand. Then, let's have a look about this book.

 

 

 

2. FlatLand

 

The main summary of the book is about two dimensional world's life. In the two dimensional world, boys have an appearance of polygon. Each shape of polygon appears the social role. Girls have an appearance of segment. The two end of the segment is dot, so they could hide their own. The polygons might be poked by the segment, which would cause death. So, in the world of two dimensional world, girls and boys use different entrance.

 

There is an also status system in Flat Land. As the polygon have more sides, more that is evolved. The most developed polygon, is circle. As many dots form segment, many sides form circle. The most of roles of circles is priest.

 

 

3. FlatLand's implicated contents

 

The important thing is that, not like the book of Dewdney <The Planiverse>, Abbott don't write the story inside of limit of science and mathematics. Abbott implicates the culture of 19th century England. At that time, there was sexism. He connotes this meaning by making boy as a polygon, girl as a segment.

 

Also, the real job of Abbott was priest, which is meaning that he is illustrating own as circle in the book. Because of industrial revolution and change of education, people started to don't believe the god, so priests were filled of anxiety. Abbott wanted to prove the existence of the god. 

 

 

4. Abbott's proving existence of God

 

Abbott instituted the concept of God as the sphere. He informed how sphere could be expressed at two dimensional world. He proved the existence of sphere like this.

 

 

 

1) The existence of sphere is precondition.

2) Sphere is visiting two dimensional world.

3) By the projection of sphere, polygons can notice the sphere.

 

But, this prove method can't actually prove the sphere. Because at step 1, he already set sphere as precondition. By the method of this, we can't prove the God. The question is whether people believe it or not.

 

 

5. Conclusion

 

Abbott was feared that people would not believe the God. However, we don't have to accept the theory of Abbott. Like the molecules, we can't see God. However, the difference is that molecule is proved by the experiments and evidences. God is not. But, FlatLand is very neccesary book to know about culture of 19th century England and to develop our minds, by thinking about two dimensional world.