Happy Endings

Simulacra is the plural of simulacrum, which, in Latin, means likeness, or similarity. In short, it’s a representation of a person or thing. Postmodern social theorist Jean Baudrillard took the likeness notion a step further, saying that simulacra are not copies of the real or original but become real in their own right, in postmodern culture. A good example of this would be a copy of an album purchased as a grouping of mp3s. At one point, the artist or musical group in question actually played the series of songs live, in a studio, to be recorded. This may be seen as the true “original.” However, the purchaser’s copy of the album (regardless of format) becomes, effectively, their version of the original, even though it’s a reproduction.

We see Atwood apply this to both character and plot in “Happy Endings.” Characters effectively become reproductions of the story’s version of the “original,” which would be the John and Mary in Section A. However, the John and Mary in Section A are so generic that they themselves may also be seen as reproductions, thereby placing the true “original” someplace outside the realm of the narrative. This same thing happens with the plot; in the end, when a character dies, they effectively reproduce the plot endings that have occurred before their specific plot ending.