In this short story, Atwood describes the possible different endings of several characters. It usually does not include happy endings and emotions. The reader does not encounter an intense emotion like in old English novels. It briefly mentions the characters, so the reader cannot put himself in the place of a character. Atwood wants to tell that the subject is nothing. No matter how the characters are told in the story, they all die in the end. The fragmented narrative in the story, the constant looping of the characters and the constant repetition of time is a postmodern criticism. Organization means idealizing a situation, and idealism is contrary to postmodern thought. The author talks about a partially happy situation in part A. John and Mary fall in love, get married, and continue their lives thanks to their fine jobs. They have a beautiful house and two well-bred children. Although everything is described positively in this episode, the author does not mention whether the characters are happy or not. Meeting their material needs is a satisfying happiness for the characters and the reader. It is again a postmodern criticism to describe it as if there is happiness where there is money and sexuality. The description of a happy marriage with certain patterns shows how unrealistic this situation is. In part B, the situation is different. Mary experiences an unrequited love. John only spends time with her, according to him, they do not have an emotional relationship. Only Mary's body matters to John. At this point, reference is made to gender inequality. Mary learns that John is going out to dinner with another woman and decides to commit suicide because she still thinks she can get John. John does not save her and Mary dies. So John goes and marries someone else, and Mary disappears as a subject. In section C, John is a married old man. He tries to satisfy himself by being with someone younger than him. Here the reader sees that a marriage as shown in case A does not bring happiness. While Mary is actually with James, whom she has love in with, they are caught by John, who kills them first and then himself with a gun. John cheats on his wife, but cannot stand being cheated on by Mary. He thinks that he can do whatever he wants by using the power and status that society has given him. This ending is also a reference to the man in the postmodern society. John's wife, Madge, remarries after a while, and the subjects in the story disappear again with death. The story continues with three alternate endings. Atwood emphasizes a beautiful home in almost every episode. People seem to be happy with what money can buy, not with emotions or experiences. In episode D, Madge and Fred are lucky to survive. It is also quite unrealistic that thousands of people died because of a huge wave, but Madge and Fred got out of this situation just by luck. Atwood usually tries a different ending in the F episode as opposed to the regular endings. Unlike a situation where everyone has money and family, in this episode John is a revolutionary and Mary is a spy. The author emphasizes that despite the relationship between the characters, the two still die and makes a reference to romantic fiction. There is a fictional love throughout the story. Both men and women cheat in the story. With this situation, the author tried to break the inequality in the postmodern society. Money and a regular life do not bring happiness to people. Happiness, life, people, a nice house is an empty concept. A beautiful house can be destroyed by a simple wave. Marriage may one day end with the death of one of the partners. A person can die of a simple jealousy or an illness. In the postmodern world there is no certainty, there is an absolute end from which no one can escape.

Happy EndingsMargaret Atwood · 19837 okunma

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