Narrator and point of view

The short story “Happy Endings” by Margaret Atwood is told by a third-person narrator. Since the narrator knows several scenarios, as well as their outcome, we could say that the narrator is omniscient and has access to the characters’ thoughts and feelings. For example, the narrator knows that, in option B, Mary does not like having sex but does it only to please John (p. 70, ll. 23-24), or that, in option C, John is not satisfied with his life and is afraid Mary might consider him boring. 

The narrator addresses the reader from the beginning: “If you want a happy ending, try A” (p. 70). This gives the impression that the narrator is engaged in a dialogue with the readers, involving them in creating the story. By giving options, it seems at first that the reader can decide how the story will end. This, however, turns out to be a false choice, as ...