: A happy ending is one in which the world is configured in accordance with the values of the protagonist (and their companions and other sympathetic characters). The more the state of the world

A happy ending is one in which the world is configured in accordance with the values of the protagonist (and their companions and other sympathetic characters). The more the state of the world matches the values of the protagonist (etc.), the happier the ending. Maybe the ending is also happier the greater the value difference between initial and final conditions.

Frodo's fate in Lord of the Rings is somewhat mixed: he saved the Shire, something he values, but at great personal costâ€”both during and after his adventureâ€”something which goes against his values.

Likewise Bruce Willis' character in Armageddon: he sacrifices his life, a great loss of value, to ensure his daughter the kind of future he wants her to have, something of greater value to him.

To convey the way the characters evaluate the final state of the world to the audience, I think the characters must have been seen to act on the relevant values.

Frodo has been seen to care about the safety of the Shire and the danger posed by Sauron. Bruce Willis' Armageddon character has been seen caring about his daughter. It's clear that something of value has been gained to them.

It's also clear that something of value has been lost to both, and the relative magnitude of the values are not clear, hence the endings are arguably of ambiguous valence.

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: A happy ending is one in which the world is configured in accordance with the values of the protagonist (and their companions and other sympathetic characters). The more the state of the world

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