Margaret Atwood's "Happy Endings" Response

"Happy Endings", by Margaret Atwood first appeared in 1983 in the Canadian collection Murder in the Dark. It is a timeless Canadian piece of literature, and a very famous short story. The plot of the story is almost irrelevant to the focus as Atwood gives a very distinct message, that everything ends the same anyway, in death. This is why the story is so appealing, because even though it is not idealistic and many may disagree, Atwood is very convincing. It is evident that Atwood is suggesting that endings are pre-determined, regardless of what the story is or how it happens, as expressed in her final statement (“Now try How and Why”). Atwood explains “The only authentic ending is the one provided here: John and Mary die. John and Mary die. John and Mary die” late in the story. This statement clearly summarizes the message being portrayed, and is very serious, despite the common misconception of this being a satirical piece. Atwood creates an environment of unfortunate truth in the piece “Happy Endings”, which is why it is so memorable and important to Canadian culture.

-Brendan Meagher


For access to “Happy Endings”, please visit:

http://users.ipfw.edu/ruflethe/endings.htm