Happy ever after?
For generations, children have been told fairy tales by their parents. Stories have been passed on from father to son, mother to daughter, centuries of oral and written tradition, tales of handsome princes, wicked stepmothers, enchantment, adventure, and Happy Ever Afters.
And then children grow up, and they discover that in real life, things don’t always end happily ever after. There are good endings, there are bad endings – sometimes the best ending is merely acceptable, given the circumstances.
As adults we don’t always revisit these stories. We read other tales – the princes aren’t always as handsome, the stepmothers aren’t always wicked, and the distinctions between right and wrong are not simple.
But fiction is still an escape from the trials and tribulations of daily life. We seek escape – and in a world where unhappy ever after is just as likely as happy ever after, are writers obliged to provide readers with a happy ending? Or ought they reflect life as it really is, a life were sometimes good guys do come last, evil profits, and true love does not conquer all?
I’m writing a story where two of the main characters love each other, but circumstances have so far kept them apart. I know how the story could end, but is it how the story ought to end?
I could provide a wonderful, happy ending, where our heroes overcome the odds and wind up together. Or I could provide a more “realistic” ending, in which circumstances are too much, and harsh realities keep them apart.
Do you think a writer should always strive for a happy ending, or just the ending most realistic in the circumstances?
ARGH – I just lost my entire entry!!
Oh well … better try it again. Knowing Maria and Gideon is it actually possible for them to have a happy ending – sure they could get together but would it be happy forever – Maria would out live an aging Gideon, who’s mortal body would finally give out on him. Is that really a happy ever after? Has overtones of the love-tragedy of Arwen and Aragon??
Having read Women Who Run With Wolves, which is a feminist deconstruction of a number of well known fairy tales, I dont think that fairy tales etc were really meant to have happy endings – they were meant to have ‘moral endings’. They were meant to share important wisdom (rites of passage stuff/coming of age/ etc) and didn’t pretend that there was always a happily ever after (though the ones perhaps that did become really popular did have a happily ever after)
I’m thinking of Blue Beard the fairy tale, where the protaganist is not killed – that’s averting an unhappy ending, but is it necessarily a happy one? It comes as a relief but I’m not sure that you would jump with joy.
I believe happy endings are over rated anyway – because I believe that in every happy endings there are definite undertones of an unhappy ending (what does a happy ending mean for all the people/characters into the future) and the same for unhappy endings (is there not a possiblity that a bad/sad ending actually hearlds better times in the future)
I think a writer should strive for an ending the is honest for both his characters and his readers … pulling out a happy ending for characters that gives the reading a jarring end is dishonest to both the characters and the readers.
And taking on Square1’s wonderful wisdom – don’t the characters themselves let you know if they want a happy ending, or something else instead?
Is it possible to have an ending that is both happy and sad/bad?
Thanks for another thought provoking Sunday column Paul
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I agree with Jodi – the ending needs to be an authentic moment for the characters involved. I beleive that its often not up to us the writers to decide what will happen. The characters often have thier own ideas and take the story telling to places you never considered.
thanks Annie
I agree that fairy tales as they were originally told did not always end happily – The Little Mermaid died, and whilst Snow White had a happy ending, the Wicked Stepmother being forced to dance to death in red hot shoes isn’t the happiest of bed-time imagery for a child. But over time the morality tales have been toned down, made child friendly, and what we would term fairy tales now, tend to end happily – even if “they all lived happily ever after” has been added as a reassuring afterthought.
I will however throw out an interesting thought to you Jodi – Maria has mused on the fact that Gideon ages whereas she would not (I don’t think this ever got posted during November). Although she can’t die of old age, that doesn’t mean she can’t die. Sometimes vampires can regain their mortality. And in a tale where angels and demons are the main characters, death isn’t always the end of the story…
I have a few options available for these two, each with their own attendant happy and unhappy consequences. I’ll leave it up to them to see if they can overcome the obstacles.
i love realistic endings, and all writers should write reality. we have enough fantasy, it’s time to turn the tables
Ok, I’ll admit it. I LIKE A HAPPY ENDING.
There.
Within reason, of course. The ending has to make sense. Sometimes happy feels forced, like the writer caved in because of people like ME who want the happy ending.
So sometimes I have to live with an ending that is not as satisfying, but is appropriate to the story.
Kinda like life (sigh).
I prefer the ending to be authentic, if it can be authentic and happy that’s great….
I’ve thought about this a good bit over the years, as I’ve routinely struggled with my own endings. And while there are no hard rules I’ve found this general rule will usually guide whether I find an ending to be contrived.
A happy ending is just fine if…
1) the reader’s idea of a happy ending and the protag’s idea are roughly the same thing.
Though I can’t think of an example off the top of my head, I’ve read many stories where the author forced a standard happy ending on a character that just wouldn’t have wanted it.
2) the ending is realistically in the protag’s control
I think one of the reasons that fairy tale endings seem so contrived is that they happen out of the blue. That’s ok in fairy tales, but for the vast majority of modern authors it just can’t work.
3) there is one major issue that need resolving.
If the character’s life is spiraling out of control, and everything works out for the better, your average reader who’s life never will reach such a conclusion will put down your book in disgust. But even if a character looses his job and house, if he finally gets the girl he’s loved for so long, many readers would consider that a “happy” ending.
I think it depends on the audience in some ways, but as writers we should be true to our own convictions. I think readers can appreciate a happy ending, because it gives them hope that sometimes life does work out, despite all the bumps and turns it takes to get there, and in actuality that can be a very realistic ending. Other times life’s stories end in tragedy and disaster, and that’s realistic too.
I learned early in my marriage that happily ever after is achievable… if you’re willing to work for it. That challenges all of our hollywoodian and fairytale endings though, doesn’t it… that romance and love require effort.
But then again, when discussing the concept of happily ever after with my grandfather, his response was, “They never tell you after what!”
Go with YOUR story ending. You won’t go wrong.
Thanks for the discussion, everyone. I’ve been enjoying reading your responses!!