Literature
Happy Endings
Happy Endings
Unhappy endings are a violation of storytelling.
They are endlessly justified with the same tired, grown-up excuses.
We're told they're "profound" or "meaningful".
That "tragedy is beautiful."
That they're "brave," "honest," or "realistic."
That they're "ironic" or "subvert expectations".
That stories aren't supposed to "coddle" us.
That fiction should "prepare people for life, not protect them from it".
That they "teach valuable life lessons".
But let's be honest; nobody who actually understands fiction buys this shit—at least not from their own independent feelings.
Take Shakespeare, for example. Yes, Shakespeare was undeniably skilled with language. But he was not good at storytelling. Many of his plotlines are lazy, the morals are often disgusting, and he's a straight-up sociopath when it comes to characters. Nobody actually likes Shakespeare's stories—it's just drilled into them by English class that they should like them.
I am sick to death of
