Death By Landscape

Atwood has entitled this story “Death by Landscape,” but Lois ultimately concludes that the paintings on her walls, which depict the scenery into which Lucy disappeared, aren’t “landscapes” in the traditional sense. Given all this, discuss the significance of the story’s title.

Atwood hints at several possible explanations for Lucy’s disappearance, but the story doesn’t ultimately seem to favor one over the other. Thinking about the story’s themes, discuss why Atwood might have chosen to leave Lucy’s fate ambiguous.

Discuss the ways in which “Death by Landscape” depicts (or doesn’t depict) Canada’s indigenous peoples. What is the effect of this?