Saturday, April 28, 2007

THE RHETORIC OF BODIES POSSESSED

Just like any cat, I hate doors - whenever I can, I leave them open.

Cats hate them because they block their freedom to patrol and to explore their territory (which is why they keep meowing to be let out and then, seemingly rather perversely to us humans, cry to be let in again after having accomplished their brief survey). To me, doors are another manifestation of our modern love of self-imposed restrictions that, while giving us an illusion of security, in fact represent a cage.

One of the first flats I shared was with 3 or 4 transient others, and as usual I would typically leave my room door ajar while sleeping - it wasn't a deliberate strategy but it was occasionally interpreted (and accepted) as an invitation to make a furtive night-time visitation. That happened at a small family guest house I was once staying at in Blackpool and, assuming the 'visitor' was a fellow guest (actually the landlady), was most taken aback when she demanded £25 before agreeing to leave the room...

3 comments:

O de FLANEURETTE said...

hate doors as well...thinking about bresson´s obsession with them...i used to leave my dormdoor open...never fearing, an invitation of sorts, a pulling for free trespass...

couldnotstop said...

I never thought about doors much until I came to Norway-where upon leaving a room, its considered impolite not to always close the door, so you're constantly in a house with all these closed doors! It was so bizarre to me. In the US, closing doors behind you is a bit unusual. But after 7 years in Norway, I've succumbed to it, particularly when leaving the house-its this strange sort of satisfaction locking the door when I leave and looking down a long hallway of closed doors :-)

Odile Lee said...

What bad business practice to not negotiate , before assuming agreement.
How rude!
I do hope you made THAT abundantly clear!