Flatland, Section 14 summary
Section 14 of 22 · Part 2: Other Worlds “O brave new worlds, that have such people in them!” · 8 min to read the section
In Section 14, the narrator tries to explain Flatland to the King of Lineland, whose reliance on hearing prevents him from accepting movement beyond his single line. Demonstrations give way to insults, the King and his subjects threaten violence, and the narrator wakes to a breakfast bell.
What happens
- The King explains how differences in sound reveal his length and the positions and sizes of his subjects.
- The narrator suggests touch as a safeguard against deception, but the King calls it a capital offense and defends hearing.
- The narrator describes sideways movement, but the King cannot understand a direction outside his line.
- The narrator leaves Lineland, describes its inhabitants from outside, and returns, but the King dismisses this as magic and familiar information.
- The narrator angrily declares himself a Square and insults the King, who advances as his subjects raise a threatening cry.
- The narrator wakes as the breakfast bell sounds in Flatland.
Free for 3 months
Read and hear the whole of Flatland: A Romance of Many Dimensions, free
- 200,000+ classics as eBooks, audiobooks and 15-minute summaries, and print and large print at cost
- Up to 5 readers in your home on one plan
Start freeNothing to pay today. USD 0.14 a day in the first year, then USD 0.27 a day.
In this section
What to notice
The King makes his own sensory experience the limit of belief. This explains why the narrator’s disappearance and external observations do not persuade him.
Quick check
Why does the King say touching is punishable by death?
Cite this page
“Flatland, Section 14 summary.” Library of Alexandria, 2026, libraryofalexandria.com/pages/flatland-section-14-summary.
Library of Alexandria. (2026). Flatland, Section 14 summary. https://libraryofalexandria.com/pages/flatland-section-14-summary
“Flatland, Section 14 summary.” Library of Alexandria, 2026. https://libraryofalexandria.com/pages/flatland-section-14-summary.
@misc{flatland_section_14_summary_2026,
title = {Flatland, Section 14 summary},
publisher = {Library of Alexandria},
year = {2026},
url = {https://libraryofalexandria.com/pages/flatland-section-14-summary}
}
Free for 3 months
Read and hear the whole of Flatland: A Romance of Many Dimensions, free
- 200,000+ classics as eBooks, audiobooks and 15-minute summaries, and print and large print at cost
- Up to 5 readers in your home on one plan
Start freeNothing to pay today. USD 0.14 a day in the first year, then USD 0.27 a day.
Read Section 14 in the book
The whole book to read and hear, and the printed book, large print included, at cost.
Read free
