At first glance, the short stories in Happy Endings have common connection all the characters die. After a more detailed examination of the stories, however it becomes obvious that each individual is trying to find love. Though love is a common goal, each person’s conditions for a meaningful, loving relationship is different for everyone. This is clearly demonstrated by the different situations in which the characters find themselves. The real life stereotype of love can be seen in stories A & D where the characters “fall in love and get married”. Love is showed as easy and is a natural experience for both people that are involved. John and Mary love each other and remain committed to one another for the duration of their lives without encountering even the littlest problem, which I don’t think is real like without problems. Story D presents a similar situation of love in which understanding is the key. The outside strong force of poor health however destroys the couple’s ideal relationship. In Story C John’s idea of love is centered around maintaining his youth. Through he is married to Medge, he finds personal happiness in being with the younger better looking Mary. It reassures him that though he is aging he still has a certain charm and is able to provide sexual feelings John is content with balancing two relationships until jealousy takes over him and makes him want to kill both Mary and her lover as well as himself. These examples, show contrasts in the standards for love which happens to be each character’s goal. It can be observed in this story that love is very powerful, so much so that it can really change their lives. Love can also lead to decisions with terrible consequences. Atwood uses two separate examples in “Happy Endings” to confirm this idea.
Story B presents the character Mary a woman madly in love with John. John however, feels no emotion for Mary but rather “uses her body for selfish pleasure and ego gratification of a tepid kind.” Mary loves John so much that she has sex with him twice a week, despite the fact that she does not enjoy it. “She acts as if she’s dying for every time, not because she likes sex exactly.” She does this with the hopes that John will eventually depend on her, and possibly fall in love with her. Her love for John is so powerful that it prevents her from fully realizing and accepting the fact that John feels nothing for her. She finally realizes that he does not care after he “complains about the food”. Mary is hurt. She soon learns that “her friends saw him in a restaurant with another woman” and is deeply bothered by this since “John had never taken Mary to a restaurant”. In a final try to convince John to love her, she leaves John a note and overdoses on sleeping pills and aspirins, waiting for him to rescue her, which does not happen. This how powerful her love was for him, but yet he still wouldn’t realize what he had.
Story C concerns the married John who falls in love with his younger co-worker Mary. John has been married to his wife Madge for several years, and has two children. John who is becoming insecure about his age finds a certain security and morale boost in having sex with Mary. Mary, however does not love John and pursues the younger and more exciting James. One day John walks in on Mary and James and is shocked and upset. John loved Mary so much that he could take in that she would cheat on him even though he was being unfaithful. Instead ending his relationship with Mary and continuing his life with Madge he buys a gun and kills Mary, James and himself.
Through the analysis of “Happy Endings” by Margaret Atwood, it can be concluded that one of her many intended lessons was to show the value and the powerful effects of love. Atwood successfully proved this lesson by using powerful examples of both successful and terrible relationships to illustrate the positive and negative effects of love. Atwood truly proved what it is like to follow your heart.
by
chasemccullough (student)
