Originally Posted by Karen 7th August 2006


As we begin this discussion of Laurent Graff's "Happy Days"...remember that you can jump in at any time, any day about any question. It's never too late.

Also please remember to try and stay on subject. Please don't jump ahead....and remember this is not rocket science...just our opinions about what we think and feel about what we've read. It's all about having fun. No one is right. No one is wrong.

OK... here we go!

Happy Days is a short and simple story told in a short and simple manner. What did you think the author is trying to tell us? What is the point of the story?

Captainjacksparrow


The point that I got out of the story did not HIT me until the very end. I was thinking this was a really depressing story. The man who had given up on life and was living just for his death. But the ending just HIT me like a ton of bricks, to live life fully. To not let life just pass us by....because it will, and in a blink of an eye.

Karen


Thanks for being the first person to post about this! The first day and the first question is always the hardest for people to feel comfortable with.

I think that the author had many points he was trying to make and that was certainly one of them!

Thanks tons!! More thoughts??

Jeppody

I agree with Holly, but I also think that the author is telling us that we can be different and still fit into our surroundings. Antoine is so completely opposite to all the other residents at Happy Days, yet they all quite happily accept him there, and he they...them...they. lol

Nurseanne8

I feel that the author is telling a story of a man who "observes" life and who is to fearful or to lazy to make connections with others-for example the description of the relationship with his ex-wife, children, and the residents of the home-from what I could he make one connection with the lady with cancer but it appeared to be a half-hearted attempt. I also agree with the previous posts.

Karen


Good thoughts and all of them are very true about this little book. I am still at odd ends about the purpose...about what he was trying to tell us or share with us.

Captainjacksparrow


Maybe the point that he is trying to tell us is from his own personal experiences from being a widower...that life is toooooo short to spend it being a spectator...that you get so much more out of it by actually being a part of life and living and to take an active role in something...to actually participate. Or the other could be that being a widower..that maybe he had to do the last request thing for his wife and maybe he caught some grief from family and friends for doing it, but he in a small way was maybe trying to get them to see both sides of that coin. To see that it allowed the other one trying to help to live as well...that it could open their eyes up to the world around them....to appreciate all that is around.. Just some random thoughts my brain was having this morning.

Nurseanne8

Question: Has any one sat down with someone and discussed death and how it impacts the way we go about living our life? Maybe the author wanted to have us meet a character who was comfortable talking about death and even looked forward to it to show us that we need to enjoy life daily and not be so wrapped up in the future "waiting" for happiness?-I wish Karen could arrange one of her interviews with the author for further insight.

Karen


Anne, I have had to deal with so many deaths in my life at a relatively young age and because of that I have had many discussions with professions and been involved with counseling and seminars about death, grief and how we deal with it.

You know I am working on an interview......LOL

Nurseanne8


Great, I did not realize you were working on an interview with all the others you are arranging. Thanks for sharing information your experience with grief counseling.

Wanda829

It almost seemed to me that Adrianne really wasn't comfortable with death. He seemed more obsessed with it maybe intrigued but not comfortable. He was alomost surrounding himself with it almost to set himself up for the worse so life itself wouldn't seem so bad. How ironic is it that he ended up surrounded by life and youth. Of course I could be wrong I am thinking there are many messages in this small book.

Wanda829

Ok, so I meant Antoine not Adrainne.

Karen

Well Anne, I'm not necessarily superstitious, but I never announce or like to talk about anything like that until it's a done deal....I never know for sure until I have the answers back or I hear them on the phone. lol



Losing people is always hard and never, ever gets easier..

Deppraved


Believe it or not, I'm not to the end of the story yet (lordy, don't ask--it's so upsetting to not even find the time to finish a 99 page book.) but I feel the same as many of you and it doesn't take long to get it:

life is short, don't prolong the end--don't let it just you pass by, unaffected. Also, it shows that the end of life isn't so bad--that you can still life happily and there is still something left to give.

note: I may modify this answer when I do get to the end.

Nurseanne8


I agree with what has been said but I am wondering is this a satire and has the humor possibly lost through translation-that thought has been brewing in my brain-so maybe it is not meant to deliver the message of living life to the fullest etc. but is instead stating death is death and does what we do with our life really matter in the final moments before death? Just a thought.

Deppraved


Okay-my new take on the "point" of this story:

to do what makes you happy, to know yourself and to not let others define you.

Antoine understood his nature and was very happy to be living out his days with older people...and it was very poignant how he lived his young adulthood with the elderly only to be around children as an old man.

A bit of the Circle.

Nurseanne8


Deppraved: I like your thoughts especially since he was unable to establish a connection to his own children-and I agree that life is a circle but I feel that while he seemed happy with his decision my question is did he consciously make that decision or simply wander into it by lack of motivation or disinterest in life?

Karen


I rather like the thoughts of the circle of life too ( don't even get me started on all of the life/death symbols in P2 lol) and hadn't seen that aspect!! But wonder, like NurseAnne8 does.. about his motivations in living out his life.