- description
- # Philosophical digressions on architecture and space
## Overview
This segment, titled "Philosophical digressions on architecture and space," is a textual excerpt from the short story "I and My Chimney." It spans lines 65 to 111 of the source document and was extracted on January 30, 2026.
## Context
This segment is part of the short story "[I and My Chimney](arke:01KG8AJ72QDX8N8STJ3550X2NW)," which is itself contained within the larger collection "[Melville Complete Works](arke:01KG89HMDZKNY753EZE1CJ8HZW)." The text was extracted from the file "i_and_my_chimney.txt." This segment follows the "[Initial description of the chimney and its pre-eminence](arke:01KG8AJK33MSJXY98G9NE7WN3G)" and precedes the "[Introduction and Setting](arke:01KG8AJK33X9KG09FCVRE4GG10)."
## Contents
The segment delves into philosophical observations about architectural design, specifically focusing on the construction and implications of chimneys and houses. It critiques the modern trend of building houses with fireplaces on opposite sides, suggesting it reflects a "sulky appearance" and potentially originates from architects with quarrelsome families. The text also examines the modern practice of individual flues for each fireplace, deeming it "egotistical" and "selfish." The author notes that this design often leads to flues being integrated into walls, weakening them, and attributes this to the necessity of economizing space in cities. The segment contrasts this with historical architectural styles, referencing Louis XIV's palace design as an example of prioritizing spaciousness over height. It further comments on the contemporary rivalry in building tall houses, driven by a desire to outdo neighbors, and laments this as a "vaunt" that originated from necessity.
- description_generated_at
- 2026-01-30T20:47:56.707Z
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- gemini-2.5-flash-lite
- description_title
- Philosophical digressions on architecture and space
- end_line
- 111
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- 2026-01-30T20:47:36.358Z
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- structure-extraction-lambda
- start_line
- 65
- text
- In those houses which are strictly double houses—that is, where the
hall is in the middle—the fireplaces usually are on opposite sides; so
that while one member of the household is warming himself at a fire
built into a recess of the north wall, say another member, the former’s
own brother, perhaps, may be holding his feet to the blaze before a
hearth in the south wall—the two thus fairly sitting back to back. Is
this well? Be it put to any man who has a proper fraternal feeling. Has
it not a sort of sulky appearance? But very probably this style of
chimney building originated with some architect afflicted with a
quarrelsome family.
Then again, almost every modern fireplace has its separate
flue—separate throughout, from hearth to chimney-top. At least such an
arrangement is deemed desirable. Does not this look egotistical,
selfish? But still more, all these separate flues, instead of having
independent masonry establishments of their own, or instead of being
grouped together in one federal stock in the middle of the
house—instead of this, I say, each flue is surreptitiously honey-combed
into the walls; so that these last are here and there, or indeed almost
anywhere, treacherously hollow, and, in consequence, more or less weak.
Of course, the main reason of this style of chimney building is to
economize room. In cities, where lots are sold by the inch, small space
is to spare for a chimney constructed on magnanimous principles; and,
as with most thin men, who are generally tall, so with such houses,
what is lacking in breadth, must be made up in height. This remark
holds true even with regard to many very stylish abodes, built by the
most stylish of gentlemen. And yet, when that stylish gentleman, Louis
le Grand of France, would build a palace for his lady, friend, Madame
de Maintenon, he built it but one story high—in fact in the cottage
style. But then, how uncommonly quadrangular, spacious, and
broad—horizontal acres, not vertical ones. Such is the palace, which,
in all its one-storied magnificence of Languedoc marble, in the garden
of Versailles, still remains to this day. Any man can buy a square foot
of land and plant a liberty-pole on it; but it takes a king to set
apart whole acres for a grand Trianon.
But nowadays it is different; and furthermore, what originated in a
necessity has been mounted into a vaunt. In towns there is large
rivalry in building tall houses. If one gentleman builds his house four
stories high, and another gentleman comes next door and builds five
stories high, then the former, not to be looked down upon that way,
immediately sends for his architect and claps a fifth and a sixth story
on top of his previous four. And, not till the gentleman has achieved
his aspiration, not till he has stolen over the way by twilight and
observed how his sixth story soars beyond his neighbor’s fifth—not till
then does he retire to his rest with satisfaction.
- title
- Philosophical digressions on architecture and space