Zainab Abdully
Dr. Tomko
WRT201-003N
November 13, 2014
Margaret Atwood: “Happy Endings”
The couples in “Happy Endings,” are comprised of John and Mary, John and Madge, and Madge and Fred. They all show the view of society on middle-class values. Both partners of the relationship hold good jobs where they make good money, allowing them to live luxurious lifestyles. The different versions of the story also mimic clichéd romance novels, they share similar plots and the overrated happily ever after ending. However, Version A differs from the other versions because the couple is not faced with tragedies and obstacles that they have to overcome. In order to show that romance leads to death, Atwood uses the characters and parodies of typical romantic
…show more content…
She commits suicide and he ends up marrying Madge, whom he loves. In this version of the story, Mary plays the role of a traditional and stereotypical woman whose job is to “…cook him dinner” (Atwood) and to look good for him. John treats her like a prostitute, simply using her for her body and not giving her the love she needs. Regardless, she fulfills her duties as a woman and continues to nurture him, be sensitive, and be a pleasing caretaker. John, in this version, is shown as the dominant male of a traditional middle-class household. By using the terms, such as “fuck” and “ego,” Atwood is able to portray John’s dominant role (Atwood). The plot in this version is that Mary commits suicide from the heartache and John remarries and the story “continues as in A” (Atwood). Love has once again led to the death of one of the characters. In this case Mary gives up her own life because she does not receive the love that she …show more content…
Atwood writes directly to the reader and states, “If you think this is all too bourgeois, make John a revolutionary and Mary a counterespionage agent and see how far that gets you” (Atwood). This shows that no matter who the characters are or what the plot is the end will be same for them all, the end is always death. Middle class individuals all dream for a luxurious lifestyle with great jobs and charming houses but ultimately, they will the same end, they will all end in death. Atwood sheds light on the fact that the middle class are too caught up on the “what, what, what” (Atwood) of life that they miss the how’s and why’s. They focus their lives on making money that they don’t live life to the fullest. Before long their lives come to an end and they haven’t discovered their potentials.
“Happy Endings” raises the question of life and death. It makes us think about the point of life. All stories have the same ending just like all lives end in the same way. All lives end in death. We live and we die. We could die in our sleep or we can be killed. We can die as children or from old age. Regardless, we have to die. Therefore no matter what you do in life “you'll still end up with A” which means you will live happily ever after but eventually die (Atwood 1). The story isn’t about how it ends, but what happens in the middle. It’s not in the end but what happens on the way
Like a slave, she is bought and sold as human property. In fact, Mary’s last words in the novel show that her suicidal thoughts are her wish to escape the slavery she suffers as a wife, “in moments of solitary sadness, a gleam of joy would dart across her mind – She thought she was hastening to that world where there is neither marrying, nor giving in marriage” (Wollstonecraft, 1788: 53). Wollstonecraft’s concluding words let it become clear that Mary, A Fiction, revolves around the challenges women must face by social expectations and the enslavement forced upon them by the men that surround them, especially focusing on their father and husband. Many prefer death to being submissive to their tyrannical husband. Throughout the narrative, the reader may notice that it is not mandatory for the husband to be with his spouse physically for her to be repressed and forced to act differently from how she wishes to. However, men are not the only ones to blame, but women as well. Mothers educate their daughters to behave a certain way and to be submissive. Following the novels storyline, the story is the representation of a personal persuit for freedom for Mary. However, the plot not only discusses female emancipation, but also personal and sexual freedom. Subsequently, Maria; or the Wrongs of Woman will show a
In the novel wealth plays vital impact on the lives of the characters, money defines social stature, in my perspective middle class was practically nonexistent, established wealthy individuals
Welcome to the brave New world where most decisions no longer affect your course of the future. Happiness, something we all search for in our unpredictable lives, for some, happiness comes much faster and easier, but for many others, the notion of knowing that happiness is just too far away from them ultimately causes the decision to make the only permanent escape and that is to end their life just like poor Johnny boy. Quote “Actual happiness always looks pretty squalid in comparison with the overcompensations for misery. (Aldous Huxley “Brave New World”) This is quite an interesting quote made in the book as it hints to suggest that happiness and contentment are actually quite dull. In fact, the struggle to achieve such, is much more interesting, livelier, more exciting. Their opposites like unfortunate events, disappointment and temptation are what make life passionate and spectacular.
John made a mockery of himself by being foolish and marying a much younger girl, this is increased by the irony of his jealousy and protectivness that is the very reason why she cheats. “ The ‘Rule of Justice’ makes us feel that the clerk and good carpender have violated norms, which allow us to view their affliction as becoming them, more explicit.” Therefore, John is over protective of his younger wife because he doesn’t want her to cheat on him, but the only reason why she does cheat on him is because of how over protective he
First of all, emphasis is placed on the daily struggles endured on a daily basis by the middle-class. Much like George and Lennie, they worry about having enough money to survive, for shelter and for clothing. Also, there seems to be the fear of loneliness that seems to surface throughout the novel. Despite the on going quarrels between George and Lennie, the two men are afraid of being alone on their own. In addition, it seems the two main characters find themselves in positions that are beyond their control. These are the conflicts one finds in this novel.
However, the reader must always keep in mind the time at which this piece was written and how these relationships exemplify the realities of personal relationships during this time era. Her relationship with John is dominated by him and is almost like she is the child. Without anyone to speak to about her true feelings and stresses, she writes, another thing she must hide from John and Jennie. The reader feels a sense of fear from the narrator, “there comes John, and I must put this away,—he hates to have me write a word” (Gilman 78). Yet another sign of how he does not want his wife thinking for herself and doing what she pleases. When learning about the author and her background, her feminist side shows in this piece through examples like these. The true dark sides of marriage, the loneliness, and the female role of always being superior are portrayed perfectly in this short
Pure Love in Happy Endings by Margaret Atwood 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.
Atwood’s “Happy Endings” retells the same characters stories several times over, never deviating from clichéd gender roles while detailing the pursuit of love and life and a happy ending in the middle class. The predictability of each story and the actions each character carries out in response to specific events is an outline for how most of us carry on with our lives. We’re all looking for the house, the dog, the kids, the white picket fence, and we’d all like to die happy.
...ssion and intrusiveness. John’s lack of having an open mind to his wife’s thoughts and opinions and his constant childish like treatment of his wife somehow emphasizes this point, although, this may not have been his intention. The narrator felt strongly that her thoughts and feelings were being disregarded and ignored as stated by the narrator “John does not know how much I really suffer. He knows there is no reason to suffer, and that satisfies him” (Gilman 115), and she shows her despise of her husband giving extra care to what he considers more important cases over his wife’s case with a sarcastic notion “I am glad my case is not serious!” (Gilman 115). It is very doubtful that John is the villain of the story, his good intentions towards doing everything practical and possible to help his wife gain her strength and wellbeing is clear throughout the story.
As the story begins, the narrator's compliance with her role as a submissive woman is easily seen. She states, "John laughs at me, but one expects that in marriage" (Gilman 577). These words clearly illustrate the male's position of power in a marriage that is not only accepted, but rather expected at this time period.... ... middle of paper ...
Atwood continues to use short simple phrases to describe two people’s lives as vaguely as possible. The author uses motifs here such as the words; “worthwhile”, “stimulating”, and “challenging”. This is done to reinforce the concept of the character’s mediocre lives. Not only does the author describe their lives in an extremely mundane way, but she also chooses to give them very plain names. The names; “Mary”, “John”, “Fred”, “James”, and “Madge” are all very simple names, none of them tend to stand out. This is where the author draws a parallel between the average name and the average lifestyle. If you were to switch out the names John and Mary in Part A and replace them you would most likely not have to change any of the facts and the story would still apply. That is because this is the generic, cookie cutter, average lifestyle that most people find themselves living. It could apply to anyone. There is nothing special or extraordinary about it. To reiterate her point, Atwood even tells the reader to continue with certain characters using the exact plot in Part A, but with different people. For example, “Madge, …, marries an understanding man called Fred and everything continues as in A, but under different names.” This directly shows how stereotypical and similar most middle class lives are. This entire piece was made to force the reader to reanalyze their life and the way they are living it. It makes the reader wonder if their life could also be summed up into the vague description in Part
The narrator is portrayed, from the beginning of the story, as a women so numbed to societies diminished view of her that she, in fact, believes it herself. She notes that her husband, John, “laughs at [her]”, but this does not seem to bother the narrator and she even justifies it saying that “one [is to] expect that in marriage”. It is at this point in the story that it becomes clear to the readers that the marriage between the narrator and John is not one of equals, but one of a dominant and a submissive, a doctor and a patient, a caretaker and a “sick” woman. This patronizing attitude that John displays with his “blessed little goose” was not uncommon in the time this story was written, which lends an explanation as to why the narrator doesn't seem entirely upset with her treatment. The narrator has been conditioned throughout her life to act a certain way, the way that society wants her to act. While both her husband and her brother have come to “same diagnosis” of the narrator, she “personally disagree[s] with their ideas” but doesn’t feel she has a right to voice her own opinion in her treatment. Instead she inwardly suppresses her true emotions and maintains the facade that she believes she is meant to display, something she has probably been doing her whole life. Trapped in her husband’s diagnosis, the narrator is confined to
The philosopher Aristotle once wrote, “Happiness is the meaning and the purpose of life, the whole aim and end of human existence.” This famous quote compels people to question the significance of their joy, and whether it truly represents purposeful lives they want to live. Ray Bradbury, a contemporary author, also tackles this question in his book, Fahrenheit 451, which deals heavily with society's view of happiness in the future. Through several main characters, Bradbury portrays the two branches of happiness: one as a lifeless path, heading nowhere, seeking no worry, while the other embraces pure human experience intertwined together to reveal truth and knowledge.
There are multiple possible causes for the internal conflict the narrator faces. The first being nervous depression and the other is the fact that her life is being controlled by her husband. Her husband is in full control because in the beginning of the story, John, her husband, influences how she should act. He decides the actions that should be taken in regards to her health and sanctity. Although she finds herself disagreeing with his synopsis, she is confined and does not admit how she feels to him. This also brings about another a major conflict that occurred in the 19th century, men being dominant and woman being categorized as inferior. Evidence can be found when the narrator states, “If a physician of high standing, and one’s own husband assures friends and relatives that there is nothing the matter with o...
It is sad that three of the marriages in the novel ended up as unhappy