6. The Bittersweet Ending
What It Is: If you've read any of Green's novels, you've likely encountered the bittersweet ending (unless you've read An Abundance Of Katherines, that is). The bittersweet ending is one that may complete the narrative, but that leaves the reader feeling a certain pang of sadness or emptiness. What It Means: One of the qualities that Green's novels are championed for is their honesty. Not necessarily narrative honesty (it would be difficult to argue that Green's stories are realistic) but emotional honesty, and honesty with regards to people and their relationships. As mentioned, realism doesn't necessarily go hand in hand with truth but when it comes to ending his stories, Green tends to let these two qualities merge. Take Looking For Alaska, for example, which ends with a prank at Culver Creek's Speaker Day, but which also ends on Miles' attempted acceptance of Alaska's death. Or The Fault In Our Stars, which ends with the deceased August Waters' final letter to Hazel. Green uses the bittersweet ending to complete his narratives realistically. The Fault In Our Stars is about cancer, and treats cancer realistically. Looking For Alaska is about a sudden, tragic death, and treats the grieving process accordingly. And Paper Towns is about falling in love with an idea, therefore it refuses to romantically reward the protagonist for making such a dire mistake.
Brian Wilson
Contributor
Commonly found reading, sitting firmly in a seat at the cinema (bottle of water and a Freddo bar, please) or listening to the Mountain Goats.
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Brian