Mattapoisett is a future society without class. Nobody is above anybody else; nobody is more important than anybody else. The elimination of class in Woman On the Edge of Time is presented as creating a perfect society.
On the other hand, back in the present, the novel suggests, the world is a miserable place because all kinds of classes—divided along lines of money, gender, and race—allow people to have power over each other.
Questions About Society and Class
- How would the novel be different if Connie were not poor? If she could, for example, hire a lawyer?
- Is Luciente an important person in Mattapoisett? Explain your answer.
- What are important social values in Mattapoisett, and how do those differ from values in the present?
Chew on This
Try on an opinion or two, start a debate, or play the devil’s advocate.
Mattapoisett shows that a classless society would be a utopia.
Mattapoisett shows that a classless society would require tyrannical interference in people's personal lives.