Duma Key

In the novel, art make it a heady, powerful force, capable of healing its practitioners and endangering them.

The therapeutic aspects of art affect multiple characters. When Elizabeth lost language and memory from a traumatic brain injury, she drew pictures to communicate: “She thinks I can make the world on paper. I can draw what the words mean” (110). The process was restorative, helping her remember the names of the objects she sketched, stopping her headaches, and even bringing her back to herself. As Edgar looks into Elizabeth’s memories, he can see that her art allowed her to reclaim her own name and identity: “She thinks I am ELIZABETH” (110). Finding these memories is described as an artistic process, like filling a white page with images. Edgar too experiences similar healing and self-discovery when he paints at Duma Key. The focus required for the activity alleviates his chronic physical pain. He trivializes his art at first, calling it “my new hobby” (59); yet he notes that it “helped in my transition” (59) to health. Eventually, the curative power of art is literalized—Edgar restores Wireman’s eyesight and removes the bullet lodged in his brain by painting a portrait of a younger, pre-injury Wireman.