The only authentic ending, says Atwood, is this one: “ John and Mary die. Still, though, they will end up at Ending A because, after all, “this is Canada” (3). Finally, for those who find Endings A through E “too bourgeois,” Atwood suggests making John and Mary spies and revolutionaries. What happens next? If you want a happy ending, try A.” (1).Įnding E follows Fred to his death of a “bad heart.” Madge soldiers on with charity and volunteer work in Ending A, until she dies of cancer-or, if the reader prefers, becomes guilt-ridden or begins bird-watching. She opens with the words, “John and Mary meet. In this unusual tale she demonstrates why “who and what” are insuff cient the reader must ask (and the writer must supply) “how and why.” In addition to analyzing the appropriateness of the six endings, the reader might profit from comparing “Happy Endings” to Robert Coover’s “The Babysitter,” in which the author offers several possibilities of what happens to the babysitter, leaving the decision to the reader’s imagination and Akira Kurosawa’s 1951 film Roshomon, which depicts the rape of a bride and the murder of her husband through various eyewitness accounts it demonstrates the near-impossibility of arriving at the actual “truth” of the events.Ītwood’s technique differs from that of Coover and Kurosawa, however, in that she fl eshes out nothing: Indeed, the six possible endings to the story of John and Mary are written as a skeletal outline. “Happy Endings” is a story about writing a story, with thoughtful advice to both readers and would-be writers. Nischik, “a chronicler of our times, exposing and warning, disturbing and comforting, opening up chasms of meaning as soon as she closes them, and challenging us to question conventions and face up to hitherto unarticulated truths” (159). Readers, however, should not be deceived: Margaret Atwood is, according to the critic Reingard M. Intentionally written in only 1,500 words, the story contains little plot, little character development, and little motivation. “Happy Endings” was first published in the Canadian collection Murder in the Dark (1983) and then became available in the United States in Good Bones and Simple Murders (1994). Ultimately, the story concludes that the “what” is not nearly as important as the “How and Why.Analysis of Margaret Atwood’s Happy EndingsĪn innovative and oft-anthologized story that demonstrates the arbitrariness of any author’s choice of an ending, “Happy Endings” offers six different endings from which the reader may choose. The various plot iterations throughout the story illustrates the ways in which the elements of a story, when broken down into discrete units, are often so interchangeable with one another as to be virtually meaningless.
In scenario F, the narrator attempts to complicate things further by imagining John and Mary as spies and counterrevolutionaries, but concludes that the endings of all of the stories are all ultimately the same.Īt the end of “Happy Endings,” Atwood meditates on the nature of plot and story, arguing that plot is ultimately less interesting than other aspects of storytelling. In scenario D, Fred and Madge brave a tidal wave, while in scenario E, Fred and Madge deal with illnesses such as heart disease and cancer. At the conclusion of the story, Madge remarries to a man named Fred and everything continues as in A. When John walks in on Mary and James having sex, he kills them and commits suicide. Since James is often away, Mary also engages in a relationship with John, who in this scenario is much older and already married to Madge. In scenario C, Mary is in love with James, an independent and adventurous young man with a motorcycle and record collection. John marries Madge and everything continues as in A. When Mary finds out that John is seeing another woman, Madge, she commits suicide. While Mary attempts to woo him with carefully prepared meals, her impeccable appearance, and sex, John remains unsatisfied and treats her poorly. In scenario B, Mary falls in love and attempts to pursue a romantic relationship with John, who is noncommittal and uninterested. In scenario A, John and Mary marry, buy a house, have children, and generally achieve a “happy ending.” What happens next?” The story then proceeds through various plot iterations, describing different ways in which the tale might end. Atwood begins the story with a simple setup: “John and Mary meet.
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