Pub 2 "Is There Such a Thing as a Happy Ending?"

 

   Stories do not always end with resolution, and the emotions they leave behind often linger far longer than their final lines. Some stories don’t offer comfort or closure and that’s what makes them so interesting and unique. In Ernest Hemingway’s “Hills Like White Elephants” and Tim O’Brien’s “The Things They Carried”, the endings leave us sitting with uncertainty, just like the characters themselves. There’s no final decision, just the heavy weight of what’s left unsaid at the end. These stories aren’t about happy endings, that wrap up the story, they’re about showing what it really feels like to carry doubt, suffering, and complicated love. Through Themes being emotional tension, guilt and emotional weight, that contribute to endings that don't have resolutions, Hemingway and O’Brien remind us that life is messy, uncertain, and often unresolved. But in that honesty. But they offer something deeper than a happy ending. They show what it means to be human, to carry things, to sit with silence, and to search for meaning even when answers never come.

                In "Hills Like White Elephants," Hemingway explores themes of emotional disconnect that can arise in relationships, especially when communication fails. The tension between the American man and Jig isn’t because of a lack of love but an inability to truly understand each other’s emotional needs. As they discuss important decisions they have to make, their conversation becomes intense, showing how even the closest relationships can become difficult to maintain when feelings are not presented. Jig’s frustration is clear when she expresses, “Would you please please please please please please please stop talking?” (Jig pg, 5), This shows how she is being unheard by the american man and is trying to express herself by pleading to him. Yet, the American man still  suggests that the abortion is “perfectly simple,” (American Man pg, 5). His simple solution is not so simple for jig creating a lack of understanding and emotional distance between them. In the end, Jig’s says, “I feel fine. There’s nothing wrong with me. I feel fine,” (Jig pg 6). This shows how she tries to suppress her true feelings, emphasizing that emotional connection requires more than just words, it needs actions, listening and mutual understanding.

      Similarly, in "The Things They Carried," Tim O’Brien creates the theme of carrying emotional weight of unresolved trauma and guilt, especially through Lieutenant Jimmy Cross, who is haunted by the death of Ted Lavender. His guilt becomes so overwhelming that he burns Martha’s letters in an attempt to rid himself of the paint. O’Brien writes, “He was determined to perform his duties firmly and without negligence... It was very sad, he thought. The things men carried inside. The things men did or felt they had to do” (O’Brien 21). This act doesn’t bring relief, it shows that emotional scars cannot be erased by simple actions. The story ends with it being known that Jimmy Cross still has lasting weight of trauma and guilt, just as in "Hills Like White Elephants," where the characters are unable to find closure. Both stories emphasize that some wounds are too deep to heal fully.

              The emotional disconnect and unresolved trauma and guilt shown in both stories also connects with themes found with The artist Travis Scott’s song called  “My Eyes.” In the song, Scott sings in a specific line “If they just knew what scotty would do to jump off the stage to save him a child” This line takes on a deep meaning of Travis Scott's own guilt due to his 2021 Astroworld Festival tragedy where 8 people died including an 8 year old. It shows Scott's regret and desire to have prevented this from happening, This sentiment reflects the emotional weight Travis Scott may carry, feeling helpless in such a situation.

           Ultimately, the endings of both Hemingway’s “Hills Like White Elephants” and O’Brien’s “The Things They Carried” leave us with a lot to think about, showing how complex and unresolved life can be. These stories show themes of emotional distance, guilt, and trauma, reminding us that life doesn’t always come with solutions or happy endings. Like the characters in these stories, we’re left with the weight of what didn't happen and how the stories turned out creating an uncomfortable feeling of emotions for readers. This connects to Travis Scott’s song “My Eyes”, where he talks about feeling helpless and guilty after the Astroworld tragedy. Whether it’s a troubled relationship or past trauma, these stories and songs teach us that some emotional struggles don’t have easy solutions. In the end, they offer a deeper look at what it means to deal with these things and accept that not everything can be fixed.

Work cited 

Hemingway, Ernest. Hills Like White Elephants. The Complete Short Stories of Ernest Hemingway: The Finca Vigía Edition, Scribner, 1987.

O’Brien, Tim. The Things They Carried. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 1990.

Travis Scott “MY EYES”