Roy
David Roy
Ms. Cheri Killam
English 101-19
8 November 2004
Pure Love in “Happy Endings”
Margaret Atwood, through a series of different situations, depicts the lives of typical people facing various obstacles in her short story “Happy Endings”. Despite their individual differences, the stories of each of the characters ultimately end in the same way. In her writing she clearly makes a point of commenting on how everybody dies in the same manner, regardless of their life experiences. Behind the obvious meaning of these seemingly pointless stories lies a deeper and more profound meaning. Love plays a central role in each story, and thus it seems that love is the ultimate goal in life. Love, however, is not the only factor that creates and maintains a relationship. Love has the power to bring people together, but can also break them apart. In addition, it can lead to irrational decisions with terrible consequences. In this short story Margaret Atwood shows the powerful effect that love has on people’s lives.
At first glance, the short stories in "Happy Endings" have a common connection: all the characters die. After a more detailed examination of the stories, however, it becomes evident that each individual is striving to find love. Though love is a universal goal, each person's criteria for a meaningful, fulfilling and loving relationship varies. This is clearly demonstrated by the different situations in which the characters find themselves. The conventional, stereotypical, and almost cliché demonstration of love can be seen in stories A & D, where the characters simply "fall in love and get married". Love is portrayed as effortless, and is a natural, rewarding, and mutual experience for both individuals involved. John & Mary, as well as Fred & Madge, love each other, and remain committed to each other for the duration of their lives without encountering even the slightest obstacle. Story D presents a similar, perfect situation of love in which understanding is key. The outside, uncontrollable force of poor health, however, destroys the couple's ideal relationship. In Story C, John’s conception of love is centered around maintaining his vigour and youth. Though he is married to Madge, he finds personal satisfaction and stimulation in being with the younger Mary. It reassures him that though he is aging, he still possesses a certain charm and is able to provide sexual fulfillment. John is content with balancing two relationships until jealousy consumes him and provokes him to kill both Mary and her lover, as well as himself. These examples effectively show contrasts in the criteria for love, which in fact is each character's ultimate goal.
