Happy Endings
Okay for those of you who may or may not remember, "Happy Endings" is the short story by Margaret Atwood about the couple's story with all the alternate story lines and background information. Now ultimately the point of the story is that in the end no matter what the plot line, the couple inevitably dies, just as everyone dies. Now while this is true, I find this whole story almost meaninglessly cynical. Yes of course everyone dies regardless of circumstances but what is the point in reminding us of that? It sounds to mean like the author is just sulking about how hard life can be. What is the point in that though? The story is almost self-contradictory even, in that there plot lines in which the couple is happy and do just fine and live very long and fulfilling lives. Yes they still die but we all die, it's unavoidable, that is the whole point in making the most out of your life while you can. I think maybe this is a commentary on the idea of "happily ever after" considering the deaths of the protagonists in "happily ever after" stories are never really mentioned. Maybe she thinks this is just an unrealistic approach to literature but if that is the case then the author should lighten up because I'll be honest, and I think I speak for most people when I say that nobody wants to read a romantic tale that ends with "and then they both died, because everyone dies eventually, the end." (unless of course it was written by Kurt Vonnegut in which case that's exactly the kind of ending you should have been expecting).