A Response to... Margaret Atwood’s Happy Endings
After reading Margaret Atwood’s Happy Endings, I was clouded with the multitude of messages. Some messages, more apparent than others, include the criticism of authors and the focus pursued in much modern prose. Personally, I feel that Atwood’s statement “The only authentic ending is the one provided here- John and Mary die. John and Mary die. John and Mary die” is effective. Atwood concludes that in a mortal world, it is the author’s creativity in elements other than the plot, which always ends the same, that can distinguish a written piece.
Moreover, Atwood criticizes the satire of the role of women in writing. Through different plot scenarios, she portrays women as figures who sacrifice themselves for men; either in pity or in lust. Women are described as individuals without a decision making ability that are automatically seduced and controlled by men. Doing so, Atwood proves that literature often falsely and scornfully interprets women. Overall, the story is communicating that an exaggerated focus on plot can spoil literature, which should focus on character development. The short story ‘options’ in Happy Endings are satirical and humorous, rendering Atwood’s Happy Endings as a meaningful and enjoyable argumentative statement.
-Daniel Mitropolsky
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