Margaret Atwood’s “Happy Ending’s” is all but what it seems. With a somewhat misleading title, Atwood’s intent is to convey that there is no happy ending and that “the endings are the same however you slice it” (Atwood 515). Presented within this story is the theme of how plots are hypothesized as a continuation of the story, “a what and a what and a what” (Atwood 515), but the important part is the stretch in-between. Although there are six different scenarios in this short story, they all have
It is a sad reality of human relationships that fairy-tale endings are only found in fairy-tales. The true complexity of relationships between men and women is full of heartache and disappointment. Thought-provoking works of literature can help us to come to terms with this reality by showing us possibilities and helping us to recognize them. In Margaret Atwood's "Happy Endings," the relationship between John and Mary is shown to have many possible outcomes. The story ends with the message that