In Alice Munro's "Too Much Happiness," the narrative explores the complexities of how individuals cope with their past experiences. Initially, it seems as though the memories and events of the past can be effortlessly left behind, losing their significance over time. People often move on, believing they have successfully severed ties with what once troubled them, only for those memories to resurface unexpectedly.

This resurgence of the past is jarring, as unresolved feelings and old scenes demand attention once again. Despite the awareness that nothing can truly change those events, the emotional weight they carry forces individuals to confront them anew. Munro poignantly captures this cycle of forgetting and remembering, highlighting the persistent influence of our histories on our present lives.