Margaret Atwood's "Happy Endings" is a very tongue-in-cheek yet dark take on the notion of happy endings in stories. It shows that no matter how bleak or complicated a story might be, it's usually safe to assume that authors will rely on the tried and true ending cliche of a happy couple living out their lives together. Life of course isn't always the ideal we set for ourselves in books and stories, but fiction in general allows us to lay out a fantasy for the enjoyment of both ourselves and others. Stories allow for authors to give their characters the happy endings they wanted for themselves, to see the world in a more positive light than reality ever gave them. Such is the pastoral and traditional "happy ending" of fairy tales and stories.