I think Hollywood's happy ending idea conditioned people to expect happy endings.There is always some tragedy in life, be it a speck of it even in the easiest of lives. If art imitates life, why should it omit tragedy, then!

Not everybody reads a book to be mollycoddled. Sometimes, and in my case always, we read to find a reflection of life. If it weren't so, why would anyone read World War II stories? They seem to be selling like hotcakes.