Use of Attics in Literature Essay - 4376 Words

The Phenomenology of Space--Attic Memories and Secrets Since Gilbert and Gubars The Madwoman in the Attic, critics have assumed that attics house madwomen. But they use that concept as a metaphor for their thesis, that women writers were isolated and treated with approbation. In most literature, attics are dark, dusty, seldom-visited storage areas, like that of the Tulliver house in The Mill on the Floss--a great attic under the old high-pitched roof, with worm-eaten floors, worm-eaten shelves, and dark rafters festooned with cobwebs--a place thought to be weird and ghostly. Attics do not house humans (not even mad ones) they warehouse artifacts that carry personal and familial history--often a history that has been†¦show more content†¦Attics make us think of history, interesting artifacts, old toys, books, clothes, linens, jewelry, and other treasures—but, most of all, of deep, dark, and significant family secrets. It was in the attic of the house that I grew up in that, as a snooping teenager, I found the packet of letters from my mother to her first husband. Her FIRST husband. I had never dreamed that she had had but one husband--my father. And had I not ferreted out those letters, I probably still would not know. Then, that night, my father took me aside–Im sure at my mothers urging–and confessed that he too had been married and divorced before he met my mother. Whether particular attics hide such secrets hardly matters. What matters is that psychologically we believe that they do. In fact, attics frequently house just the sort of information I unearthed–facts that one is too attached to to throw away, but which one very much wants to remain secret. Before a discussion of attics can begin, it is essential to define what is meant by attic and to distinguish attics from upper rooms. Not all third floor spaces are attics, because many larger houses have and had third floor rooms that were normal living spaces, sometimeshaving bedrooms and sometimes having a huge, finished room used for balls and other parties. Such rooms were furnished, and comfortably habitable. Such is the case with a room that is often cited as an attic that incarcerates a madwoman, the upper room in TheShow MoreRelatedEssay on Shel Silverstein1479 Words   |  6 Pagesof his major collections of works of literature are the critically acclaimed Where the Sidewalk Ends and A Light in the Attic. They have no real historic significance; they were written to entertain. These two books contain some of Silverstein’s most accredited work. Since the books are children’s literature, not many critics have taken the time to review the works. However, Shel S ilverstein Book Reviews reference to a review of Silverstein’s A Light in the Attic said, amp;quot;Despite such momentsRead MoreThe Importance Of Soil And Evaluation Of Taxonomic Evidence748 Words   |  3 Pagesclassification of a ‘red-figured Stamnos (The British Museum, n.d)’. Analysis of function, status and meaning of this Stamnos provide evidence of how it has changed over time. This is further achieved by examining the production, consumption and afterlife of ‘Attic pottery (Hughes et al., 2014, p.60)’. Production To begin, an intrinsic measure of soil and evaluation of taxonomic evidence identifies this Stamnos as between 450BC-440BC of Athenian provenance. Raw material excavated from a clay bed then transportedRead MoreWomen s Rights By Jane Eyre1351 Words   |  6 PagesWomen’s rights has been a topic of controversy for a long time. 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This attic starts empty and as a man goes through life, he stocks it with information, but the attic can’t expand, therefore it has limited space; if it gets too full, you’ll forget things. Sherlock uses this to defend his case of not knowing about the solar system, because his brain-attic is only full of information he’ll actually need, such as: Chemistry, Sensational Literature, Anatomy, Geology, Botany, and little to no Politics. InRead MoreLouver Essay1386 Words   |  6 Pagesinstallation. Gable vents are critical to home comfort and efficient energy consumption and they are the number one way to vent hot air from the attic. Located at the highest point in the home, gables are the first point reached by the heated air in a home. Here the hot air is sucked out of the home through the gable by cooler air; the temperature drops; and the attic is cooler. Aluminum gable vents offer many advantages over vinyl vents; therefore, aluminum is the choice of Onyx Xteriors. Other areasRead MoreBiography of Annie Prolux 993 Words   |  4 Pageswomen were badly beaten, some covered in paint, and one covered in newspapers. Mr. Croom had the attic locked for twelve years. Proulx uses the plot to keep the reader interested by giving descriptions of the bodies. She starts the story off with Mr. Croom death. It keeps the reader interested to find out what happens in the end. The exposition is where Mr. Croom falls off the cliff and keeps the attic locked from his curious wife. The climax is when Mrs. Croom finds the dead bodies. There was a satisfactoryRead More A Fools Payment947 Words   |  4 Pagesexistence in an attic apartment. Mathilde Loisel was born to a lower middle class French family, but she wished that she could have of noble birth. Her longing for a better life caused her great grief. When she could have been happy with her situation in life, instead she would dream of a grand home and wealthy, dignified friends. 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