In Margaret Atwood's short story, “Happy Endings,” a meeting is established between a man named John and a woman named Mary. Let the reader choose from six hypothetical situations that might occur after their first meeting, but note that option A is the one to try if you prefer a happy ending. In Option A John and Mary are the “perfect couple”. They both have good jobs, get married and then have kids when they can afford it, retire and both find meaningful hobbies and then die. The other five options parallel Option A, however Atwood's portrayal of the women in the options provides an alternative meaning to the story. Option B moves away from the perfect happy ending and establishes a relationship of unrequited love between Mary and John. John uses Mary "for selfish pleasure and ego gratification of the lukewarm kind." have sex with him. Mary doesn't necessarily enjoy the constant sex she has with John, but she feels that "if they do it often enough he'll definitely get used to it" (Atwood 549). John shows no interest, yet Mary clings on in tatters. of optimism thinking that John will change his mind. Mary's friend reveals that John had a date with a woman. The fact that John cares enough about the other woman to take her on a date to a restaurant gets to Mary. Mary then "collects all the pills and aspirins she can find and takes them with half a bottle of sherry". (Atwood 550) She commits suicide with the hope that John will come to visit her before the lethal combination of alcohol and medicine kills her. but obviously not.CF Options......middle sheet......life. Atwood covered many of the stereotypes that women fall into: she has the stereotype of the “good” woman (Mary in option A and Madge), the “bad” woman (Mary in option C), and the woman who falls somewhere in the middle (Mary in option C). option B). What remains true for all of these women, regardless of which category they fall into, is that they are not better or worse because they fit the "good" or "bad" stereotype. Madge, for example, is faithful to a husband who has lost interest; her achievement of her goal of marriage did not guarantee her happiness. Atwood's point in these scenarios is that everyone's life leads to death: there is no true "happy ending" because death is the only guarantee in life. Women shouldn't focus on living or aspiring to what society says they should because there really is no reward for living. or not living within social constraints.