Analysis of “Happy Endings” by Margaret Atwood
“And will I tell you that these three lived happily ever after? I will not, for no one ever does. But there was happiness. And they did live.” (King). Do happy endings exist or is the beginning happier than most endings? In “Happy Endings,” each excerpt ends the same, with death. Death and happy endings contradict each other because death is not a happy ending. As you recall, most fairy tales do not end with death. In “Happy Endings,” Margaret Atwood displays that life begins happier than it ends.
In excerpt A, Mary and John have a fantasized relationship, which includes happiness, success, children and few problems. Atwood mentions that everything John and Mary do is “stimulating and challenging” …show more content…
John, an older man, loves Mary, a younger woman. John is very displeased with his life, such as, his hair falling out and being middle aged. John pursues Mary to fulfill his ego. Mary, however, wants James, a young attractive guy with an impressive record collection and a motorcycle. Mary only has an affair with John because James isn’t always there for her. John and Mary both use each other to boost their self-esteem. Self-esteem is “a confidence and satisfaction in oneself”. John is only interested in Mary because she makes him feel young. Mary uses John because she is weak when alone. She needs to learn, to be strong and faithfully wait for him to come back. John has a great life, which includes a great wife and kids, yet he still shoots Mary and James when he sees them together. As a result of his low self- esteem, he ends someone else’s life and …show more content…
Even in the stories where someone was being used, they were happier being used. All excerpts end with someone dying, which is reality. Atwood makes a strong when she says, “Don’t be deluded by any other endings, they’re all fake, either deliberately fake, with malicious intent to deceive, or just motivated by excessive optimism if not by downright sentimentality” (Atwood). Fairy tales always stop at the happiest point in their life. In reality, death is the true end, and not a happy one.
Works Cited
King, Stephen. The Dark Tower. City: Publisher, 1982-2012.
Atwood, Margaret. “Happy Endings.” 1983.
“Stimulating.” 1. Random House Webster’s College Dictionary. New York, Toronto, London, Sydney, and Auckland: Random House Reference and Information Publishing Group, 1999. Print.
“Challenging.” 1. Random House Webster’s College Dictionary. New York, Toronto, London, Sydney, and Auckland: Random House Reference and Information Publishing Group, 1999. Print.
"Happy Endings." Short Stories for Students. Ed. Jennifer Smith. Vol. 13. Detroit: Gale Group, 2001. 149-162. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Web. 11 Dec. 2014.
“Self- Esteem.” 1. Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary And
“And will I tell you that these three lived happily ever after? I will not, for no one ever does. But there was happiness. And they did live.” (King). Do happy endings exist or is the beginning happier than most endings? In “Happy Endings,” each excerpt ends the same, with death. Death and happy endings contradict each other because death is not a happy ending. As you recall, most fairy tales do not end with death. In “Happy Endings,” Margaret Atwood displays that life begins happier than it ends.
In excerpt A, Mary and John have a fantasized relationship, which includes happiness, success, children and few problems. Atwood mentions that everything John and Mary do is “stimulating and challenging” …show more content…
John, an older man, loves Mary, a younger woman. John is very displeased with his life, such as, his hair falling out and being middle aged. John pursues Mary to fulfill his ego. Mary, however, wants James, a young attractive guy with an impressive record collection and a motorcycle. Mary only has an affair with John because James isn’t always there for her. John and Mary both use each other to boost their self-esteem. Self-esteem is “a confidence and satisfaction in oneself”. John is only interested in Mary because she makes him feel young. Mary uses John because she is weak when alone. She needs to learn, to be strong and faithfully wait for him to come back. John has a great life, which includes a great wife and kids, yet he still shoots Mary and James when he sees them together. As a result of his low self- esteem, he ends someone else’s life and …show more content…
Even in the stories where someone was being used, they were happier being used. All excerpts end with someone dying, which is reality. Atwood makes a strong when she says, “Don’t be deluded by any other endings, they’re all fake, either deliberately fake, with malicious intent to deceive, or just motivated by excessive optimism if not by downright sentimentality” (Atwood). Fairy tales always stop at the happiest point in their life. In reality, death is the true end, and not a happy one.
Works Cited
King, Stephen. The Dark Tower. City: Publisher, 1982-2012.
Atwood, Margaret. “Happy Endings.” 1983.
“Stimulating.” 1. Random House Webster’s College Dictionary. New York, Toronto, London, Sydney, and Auckland: Random House Reference and Information Publishing Group, 1999. Print.
“Challenging.” 1. Random House Webster’s College Dictionary. New York, Toronto, London, Sydney, and Auckland: Random House Reference and Information Publishing Group, 1999. Print.
"Happy Endings." Short Stories for Students. Ed. Jennifer Smith. Vol. 13. Detroit: Gale Group, 2001. 149-162. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Web. 11 Dec. 2014.
“Self- Esteem.” 1. Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary And