BOOK READING CH 2+3

2 HOUSE + UNIVERSE
“House and space are not merely two juxtaposed elements of space. In the reign of the Imagination, they awaken daydreams in each other, that are opposed.” In chapter two Bachelards describes the connection/disconnection between a dwelling and the universe. He suggests that all really inhabited space has a notion of ‘home’, that when a human being finds shelter it comforts itself with the notion of protection. “Heavy draperies that hung down to the floor. Behind dark curtains, snow seems to be whiter. Everything comes alive when contradictions accumulate”, this quote really caught my attention, it is such a fact that I never thought about puts in such simplistic words as he does. He continues with this interesting quote, “But we are told nothing about the strength of the walls, or the walls, or the fortitude of the roof. The house puts up no struggle. It is as though Baudelaire knew of nothing to shut himself with but curtains.” The house is seen as a material figure in which we store our treasures from previous years.

















3 DRAWERS, CHESTS, and WARDROBES
“..images of intimacy that are in harmony with drawers and chests, as also with all the other hiding-places in which human beings, great dreamers of locks, keep or hide their secrets. Bachelard suggests that in the wardrobe there is a center of order, which prevents the house from disorder; it possesses such intimacy to an individual that it has affectionately cared for. He believes that small boxes and chests show need for secrecy, locks keep possessions guarded but are also are an invitation to thieves. “there will always be more things in a closed box then in a open, box.” Bachelard explores the psychology of houses, for example a door knob is used to close and open doors, as is a key, however the key is seen by people as something which is more often used to close and the door knob often used to open.