Before the Fall

Scott’s art, paintings of disaster scenes described by Hawley in critical detail, become the focus of the FBI’s investigation as well as a component of Cunningham’s conspiracy theory. It’s more than a coincidence, he argues, that one of only two survivors of a plane crash has used disasters as the raw material for his art. Cunningham’s accusations never go beyond innuendo and speculation. He never offers proof or even a credible theory, but he does draw attention to the link between an artist’s work and their life. In Scott’s case, his disaster paintings were done prior to the plane crash, suggesting a fascination with death arising from a previous tragedy: his sister’s drowning. Scott uses his art as a way to both process the pain and wrestle with life’s big questions. He attempts to articulate these questions during his interview with Cunningham: “Why do things happen? Does it mean something?” (357). Art, by its very nature, is slippery and imprecise, and his answers don’t assuage Cunningham in the least. By attempting to define his art, however, Scott is defining his life and his trauma.

The final piece of art described in the narrative is simply the words: “WE ARE SORRY FOR YOUR LOSS” (352). This final piece represents a transition both in content and tone. Gone are the visual images of fires and tornados. In their place is a single phrase of condolence, perhaps genuine, perhaps ironic. The literal depictions of disaster—graphic yet objective—are replaced by defiance, a rebuke to those well-wishers who offer only empty words but no answers. That transition from emotional objectivity to emotional involvement suggests a step in the healing process, Scott’s ability to confront his trauma rather than objectify it.