Margaret Atwood The Landlady Poem - 808 Words

Margaret Atwood’s poem â€Å"The Landlady† is an illustration of isolation on the mind when facing a mental illness. A mental illness, such as depression or anxiety, controls the person from within taking over their lives, just like the Landlady is said to do. The poem represents depression through the characterization of the landlady as being loud, controlling and isolated from freedom. Depression takes over one’s life like the landlady has over her tenants. The poem begins with â€Å"this is the lair of the landlady,† which indicates her home to be it to be an intimidating and freighting, setting in place the melodramatic and haunting tone of the story. A lair is a resting or hiding place for an animal, but it is used also as a place of residence†¦show more content†¦Ã¢â‚¬Å"She presides over my meagre eating,† like every action is through the landlady’s knowledge and permission, as â€Å"she is everywhere.† She â€Å"generates the light for eyestrain,† which however does prove she provides economically and financially with necessities, she still causes harm from every action she performs, much like depression. â€Å"She slams my days like doors,† asserting the power she has over her tenant’s life. Even in sleep, the occupant is unable to escape from her clutches as she appears in dreams. Stanza 6, indicates the â€Å"vast face† over which appears in his, as an extensive lan d, as the landlady is everywhere so there is no escape. Likewise, Atwood’s play of words of â€Å"from her I rent my time† illustrates the life of the renter, no longer belongs to him/her, if its being controlled by someone or something else. Similarly, the landlady restricts her tenant’s freedom through her authority. In stanza 7, she is described as â€Å"a knot swollen in space† where there is no way to untie her no matter how hard one tries. The renter is unable to defeat her force, just like depression may seem invincible, so there needs to be a way around it instead. â€Å"She stands there, a raucous fact blocking my way† indicates that she causes obstruction to the freedom the occupant desires. â€Å"Raucous† specifically refers to a harsh or loud noise further clarifying her insolent personality. Likewise, there is no escape from depression as it is within a person’s mind. One