Some people-and I am one of them-hate happy ends. We feel cheated. Harm is the norm. Doom should not jam. The avalanche stopping in its tracks a few feet above the cowering village behaves not only unnaturally but unethically.
In the quote from Vladimir Nabokov's "Pnin," the speaker expresses a profound dissatisfaction with happy endings in stories. For some individuals, including the speaker, the resolution of conflicts in a cheerful manner feels insincere and unsatisfactory. They suggest that harm is an inherent part of life, and to portray otherwise is a misrepresentation of reality.
The speaker critiques the concept of a happy ending by highlighting its unrealistic nature. The image of an impending disaster, like an avalanche halting just before it devastates a village, reinforces this sentiment. It betrays the genuine struggles and complexities of life, suggesting that an artificial resolution not only feels flawed but is morally questionable as well.
