Adversity In Happy Endings By Margaret Atwood

In each of her scenarios, Atwood creates two main characters. They are given boring names for boring characters. The theme of the story that no matter what you do, you will die anyways. The true meaning of the story ‘Happy Endings’ is that at the end of every person’s life, no matter of how they lived, or what they encountered, they will die.
Even if they were struck with adversity or eased through life, the ending was still the same. For example in scenario D the couple has adversity in their life but the ending is the same. Atwood states that “one day a giant tidal wave approaches. Real estate values go down. The rest of the story is about what caused the tidal wave and how they escape from it. They do, though thousands drown, but Fred and Madge are virtuous and grateful, and continue as in A”, their life was filled with adversity but in the end they still died. In scenario A they have a trouble fee life but still die. For example “they have two children, to whom they are devoted. The children turn out well. John and Mary have a stimulating and challenging sex life and worthwhile friends. They go on fun vacations together. They retire. They both have hobbies which they …show more content…
For example in scenario B “Mary falls in love with John but John doesn't fall in love with Mary. He merely uses her body for selfish pleasure and ego gratification of a tepid kind” this shows no matter what the characters went through it all ends the same. In scenario C Attwood explains a different experience with the same outcome. For example “John, who is an older man, falls in love with Mary, and Mary, who is only twenty-two, feels sorry for him because he's worried about his hair falling out. She sleeps with him even though she's not in love with him” this scenario gives you a peak into another life but still the same outcome. The things you experience in your life also don’t matter because in the end you still