Erased by Space, Ignored by History: Place and Gender in Marilynne Robinson’s West

P e t e r d e Lo r y . V A L L E Y V I E W , K E T C H U M , I D A H O . 1 9 7 4 - H a n d - c o lo r e d g e l a t i n silv e r p r in t . 1 2 7 l6" x 1 7 7/8" - M in n e a p o l is I n st it u t e o f A r t s , N a t i o n a l E n d o w m e n t fo r t h e A r t s P h o t o g r a p h y G r a n t , a n d t h e K a t e a n d H a l l J. P e t e r so n F u n d . P e t e r d e L o r y 's b la c k - a n d - w h it e p h o t o g r a p h s o f la r g e a n d lo n e ly w e st e r n la n d ­ sc a p e s m ir r o r t h e se t t in g o f t h e m y t h ic a l t o w n o f F in g e r b o n e in M a r ily n n e R o b in so n ’s H o u se k e e p in g, w h o se in h a b it a n t s o c c u p y a t e n u o u s p h y sic a l a n d e m o t i o n a l sp a c e . V ie w in g d e L o r y ’s p h o t o g r a p h s, o u r e y e s c ir c le w it h in sc e n e s o f sk y , w at e r , a n d e a r t h b e fo r e se t t lin g o n o b je c t s t h a t sp e a k o f t h e fo o t p r in t o f h u m a n i t y a n d it s im p e r m a n e n c e . L ik e F in g e r b o n e , t h e e n v ir o n m e n t s fr a m e d w it h in d e L o r y ’s c a m e r a r e sist t r a d it io n a l in t e r p r e t a t io n a n d r e sid e in a m u lt it u d e o f h e a r t s— w h a t d e L o r y c a ll s “t h e w ay s m e m o r y a n d m y t h o v e r la y r e alit y .” E r a s e d b y S p a c e , Ig n o r e d b y H i s t o r y : P l a c e a n d G e n d e r in M a r i l y n n e R o b i n s o n ’s W e s t T o n y R . M a g a g n a F i n g e r b o n e w a s n e v e r a n i m p r...