REMEMBERING SPACE

THIS OLD HOUSE

The Reasons We Remember Space Hector Brea De r! Un"#ers"t! December $r% &'($ Pro)essor Mona*han

REMEMBERING SPACE

THIS OLD HOUSE

The stor! +Th"s O,% Ho-se. that I /-st )"n"shes rea%"n* 0ent "nto 1-"te some %eta",s abo-t the peop,e an% the th"n*s occ-p!"n* that space2 The rea%er co-,% eas",! p"ct-re the space "tse,) b! ho0 0e,, the a-thor e3p,a"ne% the sett"n*2 The )act that a a-thor co-,% remember e#er! ,"tt,e aspect o) someth"n* so bac4 "n the past ,"4e Se%ar"s an% as 0e,, as Co)er "n +S",ent Danc"n*.2 Th"s br"n*s -p the %"sc-ss"on o) 0h! "s the most "mportant space "n someones ,")e the one the! remember "n the )-t-re2 What ma4es that certa"n space sta! "n a persons memor!5 Wh! %oes space ha#e s-ch a stron* p,ace "n the that persons memor!5 I came to rea,"6e that ma!be th"s "%ea "s tr-e7 the 0ho,e "%ea o) a certa"n space ha#"n* a certa"n spot "n o-r memor! 0here 0e remember e#er! ,"tt,e %eta", compare% to other spaces 0e m"*ht ha#e been "n that noth"n* rea,,! comes to m"n%2 It8s ,"4e certa"n e#ents !o- can8t )or*et the! 0ere /-st that *oo% or /-st a moment !o- 0"sh !o- co-,% re,"#e2 B-t no0 as4 me 0hat home0or4 I ha% sen"or !ear an% I 0o-,%n8t be ab,e to ans0er /-st )or the s"mp,e )act that "t 0as /-st someth"n* I nee%e% to *et %one at the moment7 not someth"n* I 0ante% to remember as I *re0 o,%er2 In +Th"s O,% Ho-se. Se%ar"s ta,4s a ,ot abo-t the b-",%"n* she ,"#e% "n 0hen she 0as on her o0n an% !o- can te,, that she 4"n% o) ,"4e% "t2 Another th"n* the rea%er co-,% p"c4 -p )rom the stor! "s ho0 he rea,,! %"%n8t ,"4e the ho-se she ,"#e% "n %-r"n* her ear,"er !ears b! th"s sentence +I ,on*e% )or a home 0here h"stor! 0as respecte%9an%7 )o-r !ears ,ater7 I )"na,,! )o-n% one2. What I ,"4e a ,ot 0as that th"s stor! ma%e me %ra0 a certa"n connect"on to a stor! I /-st rea% recent,! 0h"ch 0o-,% be +The! A,, :-st Went A0a!. b! :o!ce Caro, Oates2 In th"s stor! the a-thor Oates 0ent a,so "nto *reat %eta", abo-t those p,aces she ,"4e% e3p,or"n*7 more then she %"% abo-t the home she ,"#e% "n herse,)2 I )ee, that a-thors remember or ment"on more abo-t those certa"n e#ents /-st beca-se those are spaces that ha#e memor"es attache%2 The )act that both a-thors spent a ,ot o) t"me on peop,e that occ-p"e% nearb! space aro-n% the"r space a,so %ra0s a s"m",ar"t! bet0een the t0o2 Oates

REMEMBERING SPACE

THIS OLD HOUSE

0ent "nto *reat %eta", abo-t her ne"*hbors7 the ones 0"th the cra6! )ather 0ho ,"#e% r"*ht b! them an% en%e% -p sett"n* the ho-se on )"re2 A,so Se%ar"s ta,4"n* abo-t h"s ne"*hbor 0ho ha% sch"6ophren"a an% he %"%n8t e#en 4no0 t", one %a! he 0ent m"ss"n* an% a,so the person 0ho o0ne% the b-",%"n* that 0as so m-ch "nto art")acts an% o,% th"n*s2 He ta,4e% a ,ot abo-t Cha67 0ho 0as the ne"*hbor 0"th sch"6ophren"a that I ment"one% be)ore2 ;or some reason I )ee, that m-st ha#e been someth"n* he 0o-,% ne#er )or*et /-st beca-se o) the 0a! he e3p,a"ne% the *-! to be an% o-t o) no0here he )o-n% o-t he ha% some t!pe o) con%"t"on2 I mean the 0a! Se%ar"s 0rote abo-t some e#ents 0"th Cha67 the rea%er 0o-,% )"n% "t to be o%% beha#"or b-t not once %"% "t come across that he m"*ht ha#e a prob,em espec"a,,! 0hen the a-thor sa!s he ,oo4e% 1-"te norma,2 The 0ho,e s"t-at"on I )ee, I co-,% compare "t to the stor! +Westb-r! Co-rts. b! E%0"%*e Dant"cat2 The reason )or th"s "s the )act that "n both an e#ent "n the"r space that b! rea%"n* "s most memorab,e to them ca-se% them poss"b,! see th"n*s at %"))erent 0a!2 ;or e3amp,e Dant"cat7 a)ter the s"t-at"on 0"th )"re an% her poss"b,! not hear"n* the 4"%s or e#en sme,,"n* "t beca-se she 0as so ca-*ht -p on her soap opera that she ,earne% )rom that e3per"ence an% 0",, a,0a!s remember "t2 The same 0a! Se%ar"s ha% Cha6 as a ne"*hbor an% 0as act-a,,! coo, 0"th h"m to a po"nt that the *-! 0o-,% 4noc4 on h"s %oor at a,, ho-rs an% the! 0o-,% ta,4 an% then o-t o) no0here )"n%"n* o-t that th"s *-! act-a,,! ha% a menta, ",,ness an% he %"%n8t 4no0 t", the ,ast m"n-te2 That8s an e#ent that the rea%er 4no0s the a-thor Se%ar"s 0",, certa"n,! not )or*et abo-t an% "t poss"b,! chan*e the 0a! he th"n4s abo-t ne"*hbors no02 Th"s rem"n%s me o) a t"me "n the o,% apartment I ,"#e% "n7 an e#ent chan*e% the 0a! I sa0 th"n*s an% "ts someth"n* I can8t )or*et2 One %a! I 0as "n the ,"#"n* room an% 0e ha% a %roppe% ce","n* so an!0a! I 0as 0"th m! *ran%ma an% I hear% 0hat seeme% to be p"eces )a,,"n* so someth"n* to,% me that the ce","n* 0as *o"n* to )a,, so I sa"% that b-t m! *ran%ma ,"sten2 I 0ent %o0nsta"rs to m! )r"en%s ho-se an% not e#en < m"n-tes ,ater7 I hear% someth"n* an% !e,,"n* an% I ran -p to see that m! apartment ce","n* rea,,! %"% co,,apse2 Than4 *o% m! *ran%ma 0as "n a %"))erent room so she %"%n=t *et h-rt7 b-t

REMEMBERING SPACE

THIS OLD HOUSE

bas"ca,,! the po"nt o) the stor! "s that a)ter *o"n* thro-*h that s"t-at"on an! no"se I hear% )rom the ce","n* m! m"n% a-tomat"ca,,! th"n4s o) that an% I %o *et s,"*ht,! scare% that "t co-,% happen a*a"n so an e#ent "n a space chan*e% me a ,"tt,e2 To conc,-%e7 certa"n spaces %o ha#e a 0a! o) be"n* memorab,e than other spaces that a co-,% ha#e been "n thro-*ho-t the"r ,")e2 Certa"n e#ents co-,% shape the 0a! 0e see that space )or the rest o) o-r ,")e or e#en the peop,e "n that space at that moment2 ;rom these rea%"n*s the rea%er can te,, th"s /-st the 0a! each an% e#er! a-thor remember ,"tt,e %eta",s abo-t that space the! ca,,e% home or st",, ca,, home2 These spaces co-,% a,so "n),-ence o-r *ro0th beca-se "t becomes a part o) -s an% a part o) 0ho 0e became "n the )-t-re2 Spaces are po0er)-, an% 0"th these essa!s I 0as ab,e to see that more an% more 0"th each rea%"n*2

REMEMBERING SPACE Re)erences

THIS OLD HOUSE

Dant"cat7 E2 >n2%2?2 Westb-r! co-rt2 Retr"e#e% No#ember @7 &'($ )rom7 httpABBp,a6a2-),2e%-B,ac!2ho%*esBWestb-r!Co-rt2p%) Oates7 :2 >(CC<7 October?2 The! a,, /-st 0ent a0a!2 Retr"e#e%7 No#ember @7 &'($ )rom7 httpABB0002ne0!or4er2comBarch"#eB(CC<B('B(DB(CC<E('E(DE(@FETNGECARDS Ort"6 Co)er7 :2 >n2%2?2 Silent dancing2 Retr"e#e% October (C7 &'($7 )rom httpABB000&2ha0a""2e%-BH)acobaBrea%"n*sBco)er2htm Se%ar"s7 D2 >&''@7 :-,! C?2 Th"s o,% ho-se2 The New Yorker2 Retr"e#e% October (C7 &'($7 )rom httpABB0002ne0!or4er2comBreport"n*B&''@B'@B'CB'@'@'C)aE)actEse%ar"s