Death by Landscape by Margaret Atwood
"Death by Landscape" is a poignant short story by Margaret Atwood that explores themes of loss, memory, and the complex relationship between humanity and nature. The narrative centers on Lois, a widowed mother who reflects on her childhood experiences at Camp Manitou, where she grappled with the dichotomy of a controlled, artificial wilderness and the daunting reality of the true wild. The story unfolds with Lois displaying her art collection in her waterfront apartment, yet the landscapes depicted in the paintings evoke feelings of unease rather than solace.
A significant turning point in Lois's life occurs during a canoe trip with her childhood friend Lucy, which culminates in an enigmatic and traumatic event when Lucy mysteriously disappears. This loss haunts Lois and leads her to confront her unresolved feelings of guilt and grief. The narrative intricately examines how past experiences shape one's identity and emotional landscape, particularly in relation to the wilderness, which serves as both a setting and a metaphor for the unknown aspects of life and death. Ultimately, Lois's journey reflects her struggle to reconcile with her memories and embrace the wilderness as an integral part of her existence. The story invites readers to contemplate the nature of friendship, the impact of trauma, and the intricate bonds between people and their environments.
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Death by Landscape by Margaret Atwood
Excerpted from an article in Magill’s Survey of American Literature, Revised Edition
First published: 1991 (collected in Wilderness Tips, 1991)
Type of work: Short story
The Work
In “Death by Landscape” Lois, a widowed mother, displays her art collection on the walls of her new waterfront apartment. She spends time admiring the paintings, yet they do not fill her with peace. On the contrary, the paintings show landscapes that make her very uneasy. Lois fears the depiction of the wilderness.
She recalls her summers at Camp Manitou, which she experienced from the ages of nine to thirteen. She remembers the traditions associated with her camp experience. She can still sing the words to the songs and remember the spunky counselors. The head of the camp, Cappie, kept the camp running during the Depression and World War II, even when money was tight. The camp setting represents a domesticated wilderness, a human-made construction which hints at the true wilds.
At the beginning, Lois struggled to adapt to camp life. She did not like writing to her parents or sleeping in a room full of other girls. She then grew to enjoy herself, and she made a strong friendship with a camper named Lucy. The two maintained their friendship throughout the years and during the summers, but Lucy seemed to have changed by their last year at camp together. She grew disillusioned with her newly divorced parents and became involved in a relationship with a gardener’s assistant.
The climax of the story occurs when the girls participate in a week-long excursion in the wilderness. They set out by canoe after a ceremonious departure. On the second day of the trip, the two girls separate from the other campers to climb a trail to a lookout point; it is a sheer cliff that overlooks the lake. Lucy says she is going to go urinate, yet she does not return. Instead, Lois hears a scream, although she cannot identify it. The campers head back to camp without Lucy; even the police cannot find her. When they return, Cappie insinuates that Lois pushed Lucy.
In retrospect, Lois realizes that Cappie merely needed someone to blame for the unfortunate event, but Lois struggles to let go of her friend. She is also haunted by the wilderness. The protagonist cannot believe that Lucy has died, and for this reason she has been living two lives. At the end of the story, Lois can finally accept the wilderness as part of herself.
Bibliography
Cooke, Nathalie. Margaret Atwood: A Biography. Toronto, Ontario: ECW Press, 1998.
Hengen, Shannon. Margaret Atwood’s Power: Mirrors, Reflections, and Images in Select Fiction and Poetry. Toronto, Ontario: Sumach Press, 1993.
Nischik, Reingard, ed. Margaret Atwood: Works and Impact. Rochester, N.Y.: Camden House, 2000.
Stein, Karen F. Margaret Atwood Revisited. New York: Twayne, 1999.
Wilson, Sharon, Thomas Friedman, and Shannon Hengen, eds. Approaches to Teaching Atwood’s “The Handmaid’s Tale” and Other Works. New York: The Modern Language Association of America, 1996.