Perspectives
Literary perspective
Margaret Atwood’s short story “Happy Endings” is part of the literary movement known as postmodernism. Postmodernist literature often plays with readers’ expectations and deviates from the norms of traditional literature.
Metafiction is often a characteristic of postmodernist literature. “Happy Endings” is a work of metafiction that addresses the readers directly and discusses the concept of the happy ending, pointing out that it is unrealistic. Irony is another trait used in postmodernism. “Happy Endings” presents many ironic situations, making fun of people’s ideas of success. Also, postmodernism fiction often does not use a traditional plot structure. “Happy Endings” lacks a conventional structure, preventing several stories, some with their own exposition, climax, and resolution, while others are a continuation of the previous stories.
