The attic, like the cellar, is a place where things are hidden away. Because the attic is the “head” of the house, these hidden things, when they are terrifying, have to do with madness (Jane Eyre, Gaslight). But more often the hidden things are positive, like treasures and memories. A character discovers an old chest in the attic that opens a window into who that character was or the character’s forebears.
