Margaret Atwood's Death By Landscape

In Margaret Atwood’s short story, “Death by Landscape,” the reader dives into the world of Lois, a widowed mother troubled by the death of her childhood friend, Lucy. Lois’ time at Camp Manitou with Lucy appeared to be a defining factor in her life, consuming the majority of her present days, if not all of them. Even though Lucy disappeared without a trace – never seen or heard from again – Lois still clung on to the memories they once had, particularly through a series of paintings she purchased over her lifetime. Although the paintings she possessed were not of Lucy and had no obvious or immediate relation to her, the landscapes and scenery were all that she needed in order to keep the memory of Lucy alive. One of the many wonderful things about art is that it has no single definition …show more content…
Even at the time she never felt she was paying full attention. She was tired a lot, as if she was living not one life but two; her own, and another, shadowy life that hovered around her and would not let itself be realized – the life of what would have happened if Lucy had not stepped sideways, and disappeared from time,” (19). Art is often seen as a refuge that allows its audience to escape reality and connect to another world where everything is how you want it to be, because it is all within your own perceptions and imagination. The memory of the births of her sons and the image of her late husband Rob may be expected to be of utmost importance to Lois, but she remains faithful to the memory of Lucy and Camp Manitou. Her landscape paintings made her escape into the memories of Lucy so immensely that she began to forget the memories of her family. It appeared as though her life as a mother and wife got in the way of what was important to her – being close to Lucy through the