Response to "Death by Landscape" by Margaret Atwood

One of the first things I noticed about this piece is Atwood's use of description of scenery. I struggle with writing scenery because I think that I often use mundane words to describe places in particular. On page 2, Atwood describes Camp Manitou from Lois' perspective following the war: "Its log-sided buildings with the white cement between the half-logs, its flagpole ringed with whitewashed stones, its weathered gray dock jutting into Lake Prospect, with its woven rope bumpers and its rusty rings for tying up, its prim round flowerbed of petunias near the office door, must surely have been there always." She goes on, and a beautiful image of this camp-site pops into my head; it's almost as if every word Atwood uses to describe the camp is different, which not only makes reading the sentences exciting, but also clearly defines each part of the camp without being repetitive. This is a skill that I am hoping to improve upon and master in my own writing.

I also loved the way that Atwood described the relationship between Lois and Lucy. The myriad of examples she uses of habits that one girl had and the other didn't, the various activities they would do together, and even the rule-breaking "crimes" they committed at the camp together were all unconventional ways to describe their friendship while letting me as a reader know more about both of them. In short, Atwood makes her characters extremely interesting to read about, for example, instead of saying that "they both liked to eat s'mores by the campfire." Not only do I want to know more about the characters, but I find myself connecting with parts of both of their personalities.

I was extremely surprised to learn that Lucy was dead.  I probably should have paid more attention to the major clue in the title "Death by Landscape," but I couldn't help but be shocked by the revelation. When I learned that she was dead, it just made the entire story and all of the moments Lucy and Lois shared together so much stronger than they initially were (and they already were strong on their own!) The last paragraph was beautiful and was a very satisfying ending. The last two lines especially stuck out to me: "She is here. She is entirely alive." I love that Lois believes that Lucy lives in her apartment, particularly through her paintings. It is a true testament to how strong their bond was, and how much she is present in Lois' life everyday.