Endings: Happy Endings, Sad Endings, Twist Endings

Problem I am trying to analyse what I like about posts by David Astbury on Facebook and famous novels. Answer They have characters and plot. The twist at the end can be either that all is bad but ends well or that all is well but ends badly or with a hint that all might not be well. Drama and Tension Drama comes from suspense. Either the journey (a train or life) is travelling to a destination where the funeral speech will sum up the life. Or the suspense can be a battle. (WWII or WWI are big world wide battles. A soldier can fight in an individual battle in wartime. Alternatively it can be an external element such as a flood, fire or earthquake. The person battle can be against an ideology, such as religious, or political. Or an internal battle, such as alcoholism, or with cancer. The hero/heroine can be battling himself / herself. Or the family can be trying to save him or her. Younger people and cinema goers apparently often like the dramatic and realistic ending (hero dies), especially in an action movie. I and most woman's magazines published in the UK see literature as an escape and like a happy ending. The same preference for a happy ending applies to me and many audiences, for non-fiction, positive thinking. Speech Competitions For example, I attend a lot of speech meetings and competitions organised by clubs, areas of under half a dozen clubs, divisions of the country into groups of areas, and districts (mainly whole countries). I have often acted as a judge, or tie-breaker judge, or simply a ballot collector and counter. Speeches About Suicide In one week I have heard two speeches about suicide. One (at Bukit Timah club) was a story telling speech in which the speaker told us how she was haunted by the death of her 19-year-old college friend, who was overweight, bullied, thought she was ugly, changed her ambition in life, no longer wanted to go to college, only wanted to get married, married a delivery boy in her father's company, seemed very happy on her wedding day, but committed suicide a month later. The speaker says with hindsight, and the wisdom of age, and the change in public knowledge, she would not be able to spot the change in her friend's personality. The purpose of that speech was to tell an emotional, moving story. The speaker was quietly spoken, and seemed quite upset. The evaluator of the speech suggested more dialogue, to bring to life contrasting change in the character of the doomed girl. I felt the joyful mood of the occasion of our meeting was dampened, and would have liked to have ended on a more upbeat note. Instead of or in addition to starting by saying that the girl's personality changed and nowadays people would understand that was significant of an internal problem (physical or mental), end by saying that. Turn it around so the speaker does not depress herself, 'I have learned ... from my experience'. Give the audience a benefit to take away. "You can learn from my experience.' Or, "I hope you have learned from my experience ..." A second speech (at Toa Payoh south) was about a home tutor whose pupil confessed to self-harming and worrying about what would happen if he failed his exams. The tutor alerted the parents and the school / 6th form college and the pupil did the year again, so that the immediate pressure and stress was removed, and the pupil had time to prepare better, be more confident of knowing the work, and be sure of a better grade. Interestingly, I would have thought that treating the exam as a 'mock' would be better. Tell the pupil that it does not matter if you fail first time. List example of people who have passed on the second attempt, or third. Or succeeded without. GCSE was brought in so that instead of a 'fail', a pupil could have a grade. Indians advertising in cvs or marriages often state that they have taken a course or an exam and failed, because the fact that they have taken a course is the first step to success and show the effort made, and that at least some knowledge has been obtained. (It occurs to me for the first time, as I write this, that besides, in India in the past and probably the present as in some countries,you might pass or fail in some exams or geographical areas or institutions if you have not bribed the right people!) What was the moral of the story? To look for the signs. As the websites about help for suicides tell you: a) You often see the warning signs or 'cry for help'. Notice them. Act. If you don't know what to do, seek out friends and relatives or professional bodies. b) Many stories end happily. People who attempt suicide (jumping off bridges but being prevented or rescued) go on to live many years, lead successful and/or happy lives, and later reunite with and thank the rescuers. c) Sometimes the professionals and strangers can't help. What the suicide wants is help from a family member. You can call the parent, the mother, somebody sympathetic. I see illness as a see-saw. Whether the illness is physical or mental, or both, or physical affecting your mind, or mind affecting your body, or both, or one then another alternation, the solution is the same. Add help to the body and mind 1 Sleep or rest 2 Food and drink (not alcohol but water) 3 Prevention and protection from outside germs (hand washing, plasters, sterility) 4 Isolation (from others who might catch germs, from copycat ideas of self harm, from depression), not seeing the news, not conveying bad news 5 Glass half full - thinking positively, watching comedy, seeing musicals, meeting new people, telling good news about yourself and others. I would sum up with the acronym SEA See - Act - Success! Angela Lansbury, CL, ACG, author and speaker.