Preferences for narrative endings versus beginnings in storytelling

¶ … Ending or a Beginning to a Story

Endings vs. Beginnings

Margaret Atwood's short story, "Happy Endings" is highly satirical, and allows for the author to propose some fairly important views regarding relationships and the nature of narratives and plots. The entire basis for this brief, somewhat hypothetical tale is the romantic relationship between a couple of characters. Although the author provides a number of alternate endings for the stories that involve the different characters, she warns the reader to "don't be deluded by any other endings" (Atwood). Essentially, Atwood makes this statement to underscore the fact that all endings are predestined and quite predictable, and result in the finality of death, which is why the narrator of the "Happy Endings" prefers beginnings.

The narrator of this tale actually makes a rather good point with the conclusion of the story, which offers the only true ending possible to the story -- the death of the characters. Despite the fact that there are varying letters (as in a multiple choice examination) that provide different endings for the characters, the only true end of their existence -- both individually and collectively, is with death. Therefore, Atwood concludes this short story by repeating the phrase that best sums up the true ending of the relationship between John and Mary "John and Mary die. John and Mary die. John and Mary die" (Atwood). As an ending, death is a foregone conclusion. The details in between, whether or not the characters are happy with one another or miserable and end up killing themselves or each other because of that misery, are mere details. No matter how happy or how sad they make one another, they will eventually perish, and when they do so, and only when they do so, their tale will be complete. It is because of this reason, which is the shared point of all endings, that the narrator in the story "Happy Endings" states that "Beginnings are always more fun" (Atwood).

However, the narrator of this short story alludes to one extremely significant fact, and that is -- once one is able to overlook such a fatalistic view of endings associated with death -- that it actually is what happens in the time between beginnings and endings that truly counts. It is for this reason that Atwood writes, "True connoisseurs, however, are known to favor the stretch in between, since it's the hardest to do anything with" (Atwood). The truth of this statement is supported in other works of literature in which the endings, which are the product of what happens after the beginning of a tale, are actually more preferable to the beginning. An excellent example of this concept is found within Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice. This novel actually illustrates a rather rocky beginning of a relationship between the main character, Elizabeth, and one of her main suitors, Mr. Darcy. However, the pair are eventually able to overcome their shaky beginning -- via the events that transpire after it and occur before the books' ending -- to demonstrate an ending that is much more preferable to readers than the beginning of the relationship between this pair.

In this simple, somewhat old-fashioned novel in which happiness is demonstrated by young girls successfully marrying, the ending of the novel is much more preferable to the beginning. The novel ends, of course, with Elizabeth marrying Mr. Darcy in a state of happiness. The beginning of their relationship, however, was characterized by a sense of tension and perhaps even mutual dislike on the part of both parties, as Mr. Darcy refuses to dance with Elizabeth due to his displeasure with his surroundings. However, much as the narrator in "Happen Endings" alludes to, the subsequent events that occur after this initial one are what set up the happy ending. Mr. Darcy is eventually attracted to Elizabeth's intelligence and caring, compassionate nature. In fact, the ending of this novel shows how the pair are able to overcome a number of obstacles, even Elizabeth's initial refusal of Mr. Darcy's proposal -- all of which enable them to understand each other better at the novel's conclusion.