We have at our disposal six interlinked (or should I say integrated) tales fabricated upon riddles and jokes but not to be taken as banter at all since something serious goes on under the surface of the narrative. ![]() I am coming across the author for the very first time, but it convinces me well enough that it would not be the last time. What we find here is the juxtapositions of a few characters to carve out various possibilities which may come across as different tales or, more aptly, different versions of the same tale. I came across this outrageously innovative flash fiction tale(s) through The Short Story Club, the story immediately pulls you into the narrative to look for the meaning and motives behind it, if there are any. Atwood is also a current Vice-President of PEN International. She and Graeme Gibson are the Joint Honourary Presidents of the Rare Bird Society within BirdLife International. Margaret Atwood currently lives in Toronto with writer Graeme Gibson.Īssociations: Margaret Atwood was President of the Writers' Union of Canada from May 1981 to May 1982, and was President of International P.E.N., Canadian Centre (English Speaking) from 1984-1986. Atwood's work has been published in more than forty languages, including Farsi, Japanese, Turkish, Finnish, Korean, Icelandic and Estonian. Her non-fiction book, Payback: Debt and the Shadow Side of Wealth in the Massey series, appeared in 2008, and her most recent novel, The Year of the Flood, in the autumn of 2009. Her most recent volume of poetry, The Door, was published in 2007. The Tent (mini-fictions) and Moral Disorder (short stories) both appeared in 2006. Atwood's dystopic novel, Oryx and Crake, was published in 2003. She is the author of more than thirty-five volumes of poetry, children’s literature, fiction, and non-fiction and is perhaps best known for her novels, which include The Edible Woman (1970), The Handmaid's Tale (1983), The Robber Bride (1994), Alias Grace (1996), and The Blind Assassin, which won the prestigious Booker Prize in 2000. Throughout her writing career, Margaret Atwood has received numerous awards and honourary degrees. She received her undergraduate degree from Victoria College at the University of Toronto and her master's degree from Radcliffe College. Ultimately, the story concludes that the “what” is not nearly as important as the “How and Why.Margaret Atwood was born in 1939 in Ottawa and grew up in northern Ontario, Quebec, and Toronto. The various plot iterations throughout the story illustrates the ways in which the elements of a story, when broken down into discrete units, are often so interchangeable with one another as to be virtually meaningless. In scenario F, the narrator attempts to complicate things further by imagining John and Mary as spies and counterrevolutionaries, but concludes that the endings of all of the stories are all ultimately the same.Īt the end of “Happy Endings,” Atwood meditates on the nature of plot and story, arguing that plot is ultimately less interesting than other aspects of storytelling. In scenario D, Fred and Madge brave a tidal wave, while in scenario E, Fred and Madge deal with illnesses such as heart disease and cancer. At the conclusion of the story, Madge remarries to a man named Fred and everything continues as in A. When John walks in on Mary and James having sex, he kills them and commits suicide. ![]() Since James is often away, Mary also engages in a relationship with John, who in this scenario is much older and already married to Madge. In scenario C, Mary is in love with James, an independent and adventurous young man with a motorcycle and record collection. John marries Madge and everything continues as in A. When Mary finds out that John is seeing another woman, Madge, she commits suicide. While Mary attempts to woo him with carefully prepared meals, her impeccable appearance, and sex, John remains unsatisfied and treats her poorly. In scenario B, Mary falls in love and attempts to pursue a romantic relationship with John, who is noncommittal and uninterested. In scenario A, John and Mary marry, buy a house, have children, and generally achieve a “happy ending.” ![]() What happens next?” The story then proceeds through various plot iterations, describing different ways in which the tale might end. Atwood begins the story with a simple setup: “John and Mary meet.
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