B. Mary falls in love with John, but he doesn't. John just uses her body. Mary believes he will change, but he won't. One day a friend tells her that John and a girl were eating at a restaurant. John hasn't taken her to any restaurant. Her heart is badly hurt. She takes pills to try to suicide wishing John will come to help her and repent and they could get married. However, he doesn't come and she dies.

C. John is a married man. He falls in love with Mary. Mary is a young girl who has an attractive boyfriend. She doesn't love John, but makes love with him. One day Mary's boyfriend brings a good quality drug, and they enjoy it. During they are having a sex, John, who has the key of her apartment, comes in and sees their lusty attitude. John is desperate and buys a gun, then shoots two of them and also shoots himself.

D. Fred and Madge have a good life. One day a giant tidal wave washes their house away. But they escape from it. After that continues as in A.

E. Fred has a bad heart. Until Fred dies they are nice and kind to each other.

F. If you want something not so bourgeois, make John a revolutionary and Mary a counterespionage agent and see how far that gets you.

The endings are always the same. John and Mary die.

None can change the endings. What happens are not so important, it is important how happens and why happens.

長くなってしまいました。これ以上、どうはしょていいのか、わかりませんでした。

A: John and Mary get married. They love each other. They have good jobs and buy a nice house. Afterwards, they have two children whom they adore. They have a very satisfactory life as they go on the vacation, raise children. Since they have retired their jobs, they have hobbies. In conclusion, they die. This is perfect.

B: John doesn't love Mary as she does. John comes Mary's place twice a week. John makes love with Mary just like a routine work. He usually sleeps for a while. During his sleep, she tries to put the things tidy and neat such as washing dishes, putting on lipstick, which he even doesn't care. She loves another John in her imagination and she never listen to advice of her friends. Her friends tell her John was with another woman in the restaurant. John has never taken Mary to a restaurant. So, Mary was upset and confused. She took sleeping pills and aspirins with sherry. This causes Mary dies. She ruined her whole life by giving herself up to love.

C. Mary is twenty-two years old. John falls in love with her. This is one way love, she doesn't love him. She loves another young man called James who rides motorcycle sometimes and has a gorgeous record collection. On the other hand, John is married man, has two children. His recent concern is that he is going to be bald. It really doesn't matter for Mary whether he has a good job or not.
One day, John finds Mary and James are together in her apartment. John bought a handgun, in the end, he triggered to John and Mary and himself.
John's wife, Madge marries another man called Fred. Then, they have a happy life.

D. Fred and Madge lead a happy married life. But Big tsunami came, they make it though escaping. They are lucky but their house value go down and a lot of people are drowned.

E. But Fred has a bad heart. Madge devotes herself to charity work after Fred dies.

F. If you think these are usual life, make John a revolutionary and Mary a counterespionage agent. You still have potential to make your life happily.

Everyone dies some day. But it is important how you live. Now try how and why.

マーガレット・アトウッドは好きな作家。でも、短編はこれしか読んだことがありません。とても変わっていて、いろんなパターンのストーリの粗筋とエンディングが書かれている。そして、どのエンディングも全て「死」。人生の終わりは「死」なんですよね。
当たり前なんですが。
で、結局、大切なのは、何が起こったのかということよりも、どうしてそうしたのか、どういうふうにしたか、みたいなことなんですね。
middle-angelさんの「B」のegoistic gratificationという言葉、内容にピッタリです。書いてるとき、思いつかなかった！　selfish pleasure　なんてのもいいかも？　とてもAを短くまとめられているのには、驚きました。でも、その短さで十分、説明されていますね。
ぱんぷきんさんの「A」This is perfectと書かれていますが、確かに、こういう結婚生活、文句のつけようがないですね。
それに、「B」の 「 just like a routine work」これ、笑っちゃいました。ほんと、一週間に二度、きちんきちんとMaryを尋ねてくるのに、愛情がない、それをうまく表現されていますね！
英語でも津波を「tsunami」と呼ぶんですね。今まで知りませんでした。日本語から借用された英語とランダムに書いてありました。

やっぱり、他の方のSummaryを読むのは、面白いですね。次回も楽しみにしています！

Margaret Atwoodの作品

The Blind Assasin	Survival: A Thematic Guide to Canadian Literature	Oryx and Crake	The Robber Bride
侍女の物語	食べられる女	サバイバル―現代カナダ文学入門	闇の殺人ゲーム