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Happy Endings Analysis

The poem discusses the author's preference for stories with happy endings over reality, where senseless deaths continue daily. While initially liking stories where the protagonist survives against odds, the author has grown tired of meaningless killing and wants purpose if death must occur. Now appreciating happy endings as an escape from the rising death tolls, the author questions if she even wants the truth over unrealistic but comforting conclusions.

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Ritz Bizmo
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575 views2 pages

Happy Endings Analysis

The poem discusses the author's preference for stories with happy endings over reality, where senseless deaths continue daily. While initially liking stories where the protagonist survives against odds, the author has grown tired of meaningless killing and wants purpose if death must occur. Now appreciating happy endings as an escape from the rising death tolls, the author questions if she even wants the truth over unrealistic but comforting conclusions.

Uploaded by

Ritz Bizmo
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Happy Endings

BY KRISTEN TRACY

I like the story where the cowboy lives During the beginning of the poem (lines 1-6.5),
because the bullet struck the whiskey flask the author alludes to the genre of stories where
the protagonist always turns out okay in the end.
She tells the reader that she enjoys these types of
instead of his thin-walled heart. Or the one stories, presumably because they make her feel
good.
where the boy is thrown from the wrecked car

and lands perfectly on a pillow of grass

instead of the awful road. I'm to the point

where if someone has to get killed, please In the middle section of the poem (lines 6.5-11.5),
deliver a clear lesson along with that death. the author talks about how she is fed up with
how all the meaningless killing that is happening
in the world. If people must die, at least give
No random, Godless acts. No mad dogs, no purpose to their deaths.

hatchets being wielded at good girls slumbering

in the folds of their warm beds. After reading Cinderella,

after observing the fat and happy cartoon mouse

weekly escaping the ravenous cat, after watching


In the last portion of the poem (lines 11.5-18),
my fellow earthlings pull together and pound the author explains that she has found an
appreciation for the cliché happy ending stories
give, even if they’re unrealistic. They’re a better
the Martians into the rock-hard desert using sarcasm alternative to the truth

and sticks, I've come to appreciate the happy ending,

no matter how tacky or unearned. It's today. And death tolls

continue to climb. You think I want the truth?


Tone: The poem gives off a feeling of despair. The author feels hopeless to the murders
around the world, and she doesn’t even feel that she can stop these deaths from happening:
she can only hope that their deaths are given meaning.

Purpose: It is meant to raise awareness to the subject of murder around the world. She
explains that, at this point, rather than focusing on the problem she would much rather just
ignore it and pretend that everything will be okay. While her point does get across, it feels more
like a Greta Thunberg rant than anything else.

Central Idea: The author is at a point where she would much rather listen to stories with
cliché happy endings than focus on the meaningless murders around the world.

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