Symbols In Happy Endings, By Margaret Atwood

Ashleigh knows stealing is wrong and that she shouldn’t do it but the rules might change when it comes to her dad. The short story “Ashes” by Susan Beth Pfeffer is a story about a set of divorced parents and their child Ashleigh. Ashleighs parents seem to come from two entirely different worlds, her father a dreamer her mother very practical. However being a dreamer may seem like a good thing it just might have swept her dad off his feet. When her father runs out of money from gambling Ashleigh must choose to either steal money from her mother or let her father be without any money. Ashleigh stole the money from her mother because she hears her father’s voice in the back of her mind reminding her she is one in a million, her dad has led her to believe that he will return all of the money she took from her mother by the end of the week and that her mother won’t even notice, and the dark grey ashes color sky at the end of the story symbolizes that she is going to steal the

In her short story “Happy Endings”, Margaret Atwood uses different literary techniques that can alter the interpretation of the story’s theme. The story starts off with a generic “fairy tale” ending in which a husband and a wife live a happy life together and eventually die. However, as the story progresses, Atwood’s style and tone makes the alternate scenarios of John and Mary give off a sense of uncertainty of what main ideas she is trying to convey. Good opening and thesis.

Opportunity’s life shattered as soon as the first gunshot went off. All because of the other student’s actions that built up, until Opportunity couldn’t stand the pressure anymore.

In “Happy Endings,” Margaret Atwood manipulates literary techniques to emphasize how each story can have different plots yet end up with the same ending. She makes the case that, in every ending, the characters finish having a happy ending and “eventually they die” (paragraph 4). She infers that it is the contents between the beginning, and the end that bring interest and challenge to the characters, while the beginnings are more fun. The “true connoisseurs” is an important element because it is what makes up the plot (paragraph 21). The six scenarios of “Happy Endings” introduce differences in the beginning and the middle of the plot but result in the same ending. The plot in each scenario focuses on the significance of understanding how

They both have gone their separate ways where Penny has become a psychotherapist and Primrose got employed to tell stories to kindergartners. Despite their differences, they later end up at the house again where once they were evacuees, “The two women met in this room on an autumn day in 1984. They had come with a group, walking in crocodile behind the guide. They prowled around the room, each alone with herself, in opposite directions, each without acknowledging the other’s presence” (Byatt 358).Here, Byatt presents the imagery on how the two women appeared at the same house after all these long years. Additionally, at the house they both wonder what had happened to the little girl and whether if she was devoured by the beast or was she even real at all and if they had made her

Maybe Primrose had mad and imaginary friend due to the loneliness and fear of being sent away. Also there's the idea that Penny is actually a friend of Primrose but had died, now Primrose sees her ghost and keeps in contact with it. This is symbolic to the story because primrose is finding comfort and safety within a friend that is maybe isn't really there or exist. ( Bryatt 325)

In the novel, Song of Solomon, by Toni Morrison, the author uses symbols in order to convey deeper meanings behind events that unfold throughout the story. One example of this is the repeated mentions of an egg during Milkman’s journey to discover more about his family and his ancestors. This egg serves to symbolize humans throughout the novel, and reveals the characters deeper thoughts and feelings toward this subject. Throughout the story, several characters discuss their feelings on the importance of an egg, and the differences in their thoughts also serves to reveal the differences in their views on humanity and humans of the time period in which they live. This time period is filled with tension and the stratification of people, and characters

We may not realize it, but most of us use symbol’s everyday, such as emojis or slang like “lol’ or “jk.” We use these symbols to communicate with people things that may be hard to explain in words. The definition of a symbol is a mark or character used as a conventional representation of an object, function, or process. “The First Part Last” is a book written by Angela Johnson. It is about Bobby, a teenager, who gets his girlfriend pregnant, and the journey Bobby has leading up to the birth of his daughter, Feather, and how he changes or matures after Feather is born. Throughout “The First Part Last” the author uses many symbols to convey things about Bobby. Three of those symbols are the wall that Bobby graffities and what he graffities on

In life and in literary text hidden meanings are quite common. There is basic level of understanding by the majority and a concealed meaning that requires a deeper level of critical thinking and analysis. Terrance Hayes provides a “poetic style that resist style” which proves hard to interpret, but I conclude he provides a common theme many might mistake for just an element of poetry (Fabu 1). A common theme present within two of his poems “Lighthead’s Guide to Galaxy” and “Antebellum House Party” as well as ”Mausoleum” from his signature book Wind in a Box is the idea of symbolism and underlying meanings within itself and how individuals tend to look for something more in things even in life instead of being as it is.

Story A of Happy Endings, is the ultimate story of love. Everything is smooth throughout the whole story and both characters are happy and live happy lives. We as the readers find out that John and Mary go on “fun vacations” and that their children “turn out well”. This is by far my most favorite story out of all six. I find it interesting and funny that Atwood uses

Happy Endings is an oddly structured, metafictional story; a series of possible scenarios all leading the characters to the same ending. Atwood uses humour and practical wisdom to critique both romantic fiction and contemporary society, and to make the point that it is not the end that is important, it is the journey that truly matters in both life and writing.

In the story “Happy Endings” the author Margaret Atwood gives 6 scenarios in alphabetical order from A to F of how a couples life could play out over the span of their lives. In these six scenarios Atwood uses satire to emphasize how interchangeable and simple each couples life is. In this story Atwood uses character, style, and point of view to chastise the desire for the everyday common life and the concern for only the “whats” in life and not “how or why”.

Symbolism, may be defined as a non-superficial representation of an idea or belief that goes beyond what is "seen."  Earnest Hemingway's "A Clean Well-Lighted Place" uses symbolism to help convey the theme of Nihilism, the philosophy that there is nothing heavenly to believe in.  It discusses that there is no supernatural reason or explanation of how the world is today.  Three symbols: the soldier, the café, and the shadows of the leaves, found in Hemingway's short story clearly displays this Nihilistic theme.

The idea of a happy ending, to the common person, is the cliche ending of a story in which the protagonist gets the damsel, saves the world, and survives near death. However, this is a very simple way to look at the concept of a “happy ending” and neglects the grand scheme of things, just as there are more complicated equations in mathematics as one progresses in school, there are more complicated elements in a story as we look to dig deeper into literature. A story that has a complex happy ending is Shakespeare’s Hamlet, the story of a man seeking revenge on his family that has caused him much despair. If we look at this play in a simple manner, we will probably not look at the ending as happy ending as our beloved characters die,

I like to read stories that have good endings, but some of the finest lessons we can learn come from stories with unhappy endings.