Or at least, we don't really want a happy ending when it comes to literature.
I came to this conclusion through a long sequence of thoughts that began with comparing The Namesake to Othello, specifically considering our in-class discussions about both. Back when we read Othello, we talked a lot about conflict and confrontation, and how some of us just really wanted Othello to accuse Desdemona or Desdemona to stand up for herself or something. The suspense and dramatic irony building up to Othello's eventual murder of Desdemona due to their unresolved and misconstrued conflict caused us to anticipate and enjoy the eventual disaster of their marriage far more than we probably should have. Similarly, we all want Gogol and Moushimi to finally reach the point of conflict. And when I say we, I really mean that I want them to.
My personal opinion on confronting others about your issues remains the same in regards to Othello, The Namesake, or real life. While sometimes true honesty hurts, I believe that knowing how someone really feels has far more positive effects in the long run, and I think that ignoring a conflict that you have with someone only puts off an inevitable fight. Still, why do I want Gogol to confront Moushumi so badly? Option 1: I want Gogol to escape his marriage. Option 2: I really just want to see them fight.
I'll admit it: I don't really want to see this book end with a happily-ever-after. So far, it has portrayed life, realistically, as both joyous and painful. Conflict within literature drives interest, and if the conflict suddenly halts, we're left feelings sort of robbed. Sure, sometimes it's good when everything ends neatly and you get a sense of closure--but not all of the time. Sometimes, we want the characters we read about to fail, so that we can say, "Oh, I wouldn't make that same mistake." Even if we would.
I like happy endings. Living happily ever after is just so pleasant. However, deep down I know that I want a realistic ending, and realistically, life is not happy and it's never perfect. For me, I feel like the author must think all their readers are stupid if they tie up the ending too neatly. I just want the author to treat me like an adult and tell it like it is, no false hopes or promises.
ReplyDeleteSarah, very interesting spin on this idea! Sixth period touched on this too. If you think about it, whether a story has a happy ending or not, somehow pain is incorporated. I cannot think of a single story that does not have a villain. Every single story out there has a villain, because all of our lives have villains. Everyone goes through trials and faces giants in their life, so authors incorporate them as well. I personally prefer a happy ending to a sad ending, but not matter the ending every story is alike in this way. Stories today centralize the task of defeating the villains in life. I thought Lahiri did a great job of incorporating “villains” in Gogol’s life, without them, how could we relate?
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