Happy endings

Reasons for Picking Story 

I picked the story because the title of the account is inviting and makes one want to read it. The story’s beginning ushers the reader into a life that every average person aspires to attain. All of us want to meet the right person, fall in love the right way, and live a long and happy life with the person of our dreams. Therefore, far from being cliché, the story introduces the reader to the ideal life that everyone aspires to have. However, in the course of reading, the reader quickly realizes that it is not all a bed of roses. There are obstacles along the way. Since everyone is akin to obstacles in life, the reader feels a sense of connection to the events in the story. It is painful to see what people do and their motivations behind it. Margaret Atwood envisions all the scenarios and the possible endings that could accrue from the same beginning. Another reason why the story resonates with me is that it is a true reflection of society. After all, at times, the people we love never love us back. Other times, we only begin to see people’s worth in our lives after they are gone.

Understanding how and why things happen 

Understanding how things happen and not only why they occur is an essential component. For instance, in the story in B, Mary falls in love with John, but John does not reciprocate. John only uses Mary for selfish pleasure. Although John does not treat Mary well, it is essential to understand the motivations behind his actions. The best guess would be that he was not raised appropriately for him to turn out the way he did. In addition, Mary is readily available for John to use. She presents herself, makes space for John every weekend, cooks him good food, presents her body to him, and cleans after they are done eating and getting intimate. However, John does not see any of these deliberate actions, and neither does Mary. She fails to see that John is only taking advantage of her kindness and neediness. Therefore, in trying to understand John’s conniving nature and affinity for using Mary, it is essential to factor in Mary’s naivety and willingness to be used. It could be that she lacked parental love and therefore does not know what love feels like. Thus, far from knowing the things that happen, it is far more significant to understand the motivation behind why things happen.