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When It Happens
historical event, not mentioned in the story but serving as its
INTR
INTRODUCTION
ODUCTION backdrop, is the Cold War. The Cold War was centered around
a nuclear weapons standoff between antagonistic national
BRIEF BIOGRAPHY OF MARGARET ATWOOD governments—primarily Western and capitalist versus Eastern
Margaret Atwood spent much of her childhood in the great and communist—and during its long duration (1947-1991),
outdoors. Her father was an entomologist and much of her there was much anxiety around the possibility of nuclear
early life was shaped by her father’s research. She did not annihilation. Mrs. Burridge’s thoughts about explosions and
attend school full-time until 12 years of age; however, she smoke on the horizon echo common fears that existed during
started writing fiction and poetry when she was as young as 6 the time this story was written.
years old. Atwood decided to make writing her profession at
age 16 and soon after she attended the University of Toronto. RELATED LITERARY WORKS
Here she published several poems and articles before
eventually graduating with an English degree. Afterwards, Margaret Atwood is best known for writing novels and short
Atwood attended Harvard University where she attained her stories that fall under the genre of dystopian fiction. Although
master’s degree and began a doctoral dissertation, although the dystopia in “When It Happens” is only imagined, the story
she never finished it. Instead, she continued writing and soon worlds of Atwood’s later works feature actual dystopias.
became one of the most prolific authors of her generation. Atwood’s most famous dystopian novels are The Handmaid’s
After publishing several volumes of poetry, Atwood released Tale and The TTestaments
estaments, both of which are set in the fictional
her first novel, The Edible Woman, in 1969. This novel helped Republic of Gilead. Atwood’s dystopias are part of a tradition
establish Atwood’s reputation, which she solidified over the which includes George Orwell’s Animal F Farm
arm and 1984
1984, along
next two decades. In particular, her short story collection with Ray Bradbury’s Fahrahrenheit
enheit 451
451. These influences—which
Dancing Girls and her novel The Handmaid’s T Tale
ale won her much fall under the category of speculative fiction—become clearer
praise from critics. The Handmaid’s T Tale
ale has since become in her later work, but they are also present in “When It
Atwood’s most famous book as well as her most controversial. Happens.” More recent examples of dystopian fiction include
Throughout her life, Atwood has remained outspoken on Cormac McCarthy’s The Road (2006), Emily St. John Mandel’s
political issues, particularly those concerning women and the Station Elev
Eleven
en (2016), and Atwood’s own Oryx and Cr Crak
akee (2003).
environment. It is difficult to make a short list of Atwood’s
literary achievements, but along with those already mentioned, KEY FACTS
she also wrote the critically acclaimed novels The Blind Assassin
• Full Title: When It Happens
(2000), Oryx and CrCrak
akee (2003), and The TTestaments
estaments (2019).
• When Written: 1977

HISTORICAL CONTEXT • Where Written: Ontario, Canada

• When Published: 1977
There are two historical events mentioned in “When It
Happens” which make a clear impact on Mrs. Burridge. First, • Literary Period: Contemporary
there is The Great Depression, which occurred between • Genre: Short Story, Realism, Dystopian Fiction
1929-1939. Mrs. Burridge’s character grew up during this time • Setting: A farm in an unspecified location
period and many of her behaviors reflect those of people who
• Climax: Mrs. Burridge imagines an apocalyptic scenario
lived through it. The Great Depression was brought about by a where she is pointing a gun at two threatening men.
stock market crash that caused many important institutions to
• Point of View: Third Person
fail, resulting in widespread poverty and food shortages. Jobs
became difficult, if not impossible, to find. Because of this, many
people who survived The Great Depression no longer trusted EXTRA CREDIT
banks or the stock market. They often made themselves as self- Dancing Girls. “When It Happens” was originally published as
sustainable as possible to shield themselves from similar future part of Atwood’s first short story collection titled Dancing Girls.
events. Likewise, those who survived World War II sometimes
became skeptical of the media because of the propaganda it The Booker Prize. Margaret Atwood is one of only five authors
produced during the war. Mrs. Burridge explicitly to win the Booker Prize twice. Her first win came in 2000 for
acknowledges that she is one of those people and does not the novel The Blind Assassin and the second came in 2019 for
trust anything the news tells her. The second important The T
Testaments
estaments.

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PL
PLO
OT SUMMARY CHARA
CHARACTERS
CTERS
Mrs. Burridge, a 51-year-old woman, spends her day canning MAJOR CHARACTERS
and storing green tomato pickle, a favorite food of her husband Mrs. Burridge – Mrs. Burridge is a 51-year-old woman who
Frank. She and Frank live alone on an isolated farm. Though lives with her husband Frank Burridge on an isolated farm. Mrs.
they have three children, all of them are now grown and live Burridge thinks Frank is a good man and relies on his care and
elsewhere. Therefore, Mrs. Burridge and Frank must fend for protection, though she is often frustrated with him and fears
themselves and keep themselves occupied. It is the former that he’s becoming weaker lately. She and Frank have three children
concerns Mrs. Burridge. Mrs. Burridge is a catastrophic thinker together, all of whom are now adults and live elsewhere.
who is constantly worried about an apocalyptic scenario. She Despite being the main character, Mrs. Burridge’s first name is
does not tell Frank about her thoughts, although Frank knows never revealed. She lived through the Great Depression and
something is wrong. World War II, both of which created in her a skepticism toward
Mrs. Burridge is also concerned about her relationship to social institutions, particularly the media. At the start of the
Frank. The two of them are very comfortable around one story, Mrs. Burridge is canning green tomato pickle, a process
another, but any sense of love and romance has been lost. Both that normally makes her feel safe. Mrs. Burridge used to enjoy
are getting older, and Mrs. Burridge feels their mortality canning food to put in her cellar because it was something to
creeping up on them. She also worries about Frank’s declining rely on in case of hardship. However, more recently, Mrs.
mobility and his capacity to protect her. Burridge has become increasingly apocalyptic in her thinking.
While her second batch of green tomato pickle simmers, Mrs. She spends much of her day waiting for a doomsday scenario
Burridge stares out her back door. This is something she does that she is convinced will happen soon. In the event of such a
multiple times a day. Eventually, she believes she will see smoke catastrophe, Mrs. Burridge does not think that the food in her
on the horizon which will signal that something terrible has cellar will help her survive and she begins to make other plans.
happened. Soon, her second batch of pickle is finished, and she While writing a grocery list, Mrs. Burridge begins daydreaming
takes it to the cellar. There, she thinks about how all of her about an apocalyptic scenario. In her daydream, Mrs. Burridge
canned food once brought her comfort. It doesn’t anymore almost immediately sets out on her own with only a few
because Mrs. Burridge thinks that in the event of an personal items and a shotgun to keep her safe. Soon, she comes
apocalyptic scenario, she will have to leave her home, rendering across two men in the woods who she thinks plan to harm her.
most of the food useless. She raises the gun, intending to fire at one of the men, and then
the daydream stops. Afterwards, the story ends abruptly as
After returning upstairs, Mrs. Burridge makes a grocery list on
Mrs. Burridge completes her grocery list and then leaves the
the back of a calendar page. While making her list, Mrs.
house.
Burridge daydreams about a doomsday scenario. In the
daydream, two farmers come to get Frank, and the three of Frank Burridge – Frank Burridge is Mrs. Burridge’s husband.
them head straight for the source of the ambiguous He is a hard-working and generally kind man, although Mrs.
catastrophe. Mrs. Burridge, convinced that she will never see Burridge is regularly annoyed with him and refers to him as
Frank again, begins packing up her things with the intention of “pigheaded.” Frank does a majority of the manual labor around
setting off on her own. She packs up all the essentials for the Burridge house including tending the farm and performing
survival, including a shotgun she has deliberately hidden from menial tasks such as fixing the cellar stairs. Mrs. Burridge feels
Frank in case of an event like this. that she relies heavily on Frank to survive and does not know
what she would do without him. Similarly, Frank relies on Mrs.
Afterwards, Mrs. Burridge frees all the farm animals and begins
Burridge to keep him fed and run the home. Mrs. Burridge and
hiking up the road. She walks until it gets dark and then strays
Frank know each other well and their marriage has fallen into
off the road and into the forest. She knows she has been to this
certain patterns that Mrs. Burridge finds tiring. However, it is
area before with Frank, but for some reason it does not seem
difficult to know if Frank feels the same way because the story
familiar. As she walks through the woods, she comes across two
never reveals his perspective. Largely, Frank leaves his wife
men sitting at a campfire. The two men immediately spot her
alone and does not push her for answers, even when he knows
and start moving toward her. This frightens Mrs. Burridge and
she is lying. Throughout most of the story, Frank moves around
so she raises her gun. Soon, she realizes she will have to shoot
in the background as Mrs. Burridge watches him and worries
the men, although she does not know if she is capable of doing
that he has become too weak to protect her. In Mrs. Burridge’s
so. As the men come closer, the daydream suddenly ends. Mrs.
apocalyptic daydream, Frank goes off with Henry Clarke and
Burridge is back in her kitchen and looking at the clock. She
another farmer to try to find out what is going on. Mrs.
then finishes her grocery list and heads out the door.
Burridge abandons him in the daydream because she thinks he
will not come back.

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Sar
Sarah
ah Burridge – Sarah Burridge is the daughter of Mrs. CONTROL VS. LACK OF CONTROL
Burridge and Frank Burridge. She is the only Burridge child “When It Happens” depicts an extreme case of a
mentioned by name in the story, although little is known about universal fear: the lack of control one has over the
her except that she is the eldest, and that Mrs. Burridge was future. Mrs. Burridge desires to control every
pregnant with her when she first started gardening. Sarah is aspect of her life. Her home is largely self-sustaining and
now fully grown and no longer lives with her parents. includes animals for food and milk, a gas pump, and plenty of
room for storage. Yet, Mrs. Burridge constantly worries that
MINOR CHARACTERS these things are not enough. She works hard to create a surplus
Henry Clark
Clarke
e – Henry Clarke is a friend of Frank Burridge. The of goods, only to worry about people coming to steal those
two of them once tried turkey farming together, although the goods. Her life is a vicious cycle in which she performs an action
venture failed miserably. Mrs. Burridge imagines Henry coming that is meant to make her feel more in control, but that action
to get Frank in his truck during her apocalyptic fantasy. actually creates more problems, at least in her mind. Mrs.
Burridge also regularly worries about the abilities that she
lacks. For a long time, she has relied on Frank for protection,
THEMES but she realizes that this is no longer a viable option in his old
age. She wants to be able to use a gun to protect herself, but
In LitCharts literature guides, each theme gets its own color- she never asks him to teach her how, and even in her fantasies
coded icon. These icons make it easy to track where the themes she has a hard time pulling the trigger. Ultimately, then, there is
occur most prominently throughout the work. If you don't have a cruel irony to Mrs. Burridge’s actions (or failures to act),
a color printer, you can still use the icons to track themes in because her desire for control results in a repetitious and
black and white. mundane way of living that only perpetuates her fears rather
than helping her confront them.
THE MUNDANE AND THE APOCALYPTIC
Margaret Atwood’s “When It Happens” FAMILY, COMMUNITY, AND ISOLATION
demonstrates how boredom and dissatisfaction In “When It Happens,” Atwood suggests that Mrs.
can quickly twist themselves into something more Burridge’s boredom and unhappiness stem from
sinister. Mrs. Burridge is a 51-year-old woman in a loveless her lack of interaction with her family and the
marriage who constantly worries about the future. On the broader community. From the beginning of the story, it is clear
surface, she has no reason to be concerned: her children are that Mrs. Burridge is not happy with her marriage; she does not
alive and healthy, she and her husband Frank have more money hate Frank, but she also no longer loves him. This fact is
than ever, and the farm they live on is largely self-sustaining. solidified later in the story, during the apocalyptic fantasy
However, the information she hears in the media, the concern where she sets out on her own, leaving Frank behind. In
she reads on people’s faces, and the apocalyptic visions she addition, while Mrs. Burridge occasionally speaks to her
reads in Watchtower all make her believe something terrible is children, none of them feature regularly in her life, and two of
going to happen. Mrs. Burridge begins to imagine herself taking them are never even given names in the story. Similarly, while
off on her own with a gun, eventually coming across some men Mrs. Burridge knows her neighbors, none of them could be
who she believes she needs to shoot. classified as friends. As such, Mrs. Burridge has no one to
Although Mrs. Burridge’s fears are genuine, the story also confide in; she does not even tell Frank about her concerns for
suggests that this possibility excites her; her life has become so the future, and she plans to hide one of his guns from him if
mundane and easy that these apocalyptic fantasies are her way something were to happen. Although Mrs. Burridge spends
of passing the time. At this point in her life, her children are most of the story worrying about isolation due to a
raised and there is little she needs to do to satisfy Frank. catastrophic event, what she does not realize is that she has
Instead, she spends much of her time staring out the back already isolated herself by doing so. While the story doesn’t
window, waiting to see smoke on the horizon that signals the specify how and at what point Mrs. Burridge’s isolation began,
coming apocalypse. By the end of the story, the same boredom it’s clear that her way of coping—chiefly through worry and
that created this line of thinking makes even menial tasks fantasy—only makes her isolation intractable.
difficult for Mrs. Burridge, as a grocery list written on the back
of the calendar page quickly becomes an exercise in THE PATTERNS OF DOMESTIC LIFE
catastrophic thinking. Ultimately, Mrs. Burridge’s apocalyptic
“When It Happens” is concerned with the patterns
predictions never come to fruition, yet the effect they have on
people fall into after living together for a long time.
her is keenly felt.
Mrs. Burridge and Frank have lived together for

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many years; they have three children, all of whom are now fully Mrs. Burridge is uncomfortable with the recurring patterns of
grown and live elsewhere. During their many years together, her everyday life and the calendar is a symbol of the unvarying
they have come to know each other intimately. Although the nature of her existence. Each passing day for Mrs. Burridge is
story never allows access to Frank’s thoughts, Mrs. Burridge always the same, so much so that she daydreams about an
has a clear sense of what she sees as Frank’s strengths and apocalyptic event that would thoroughly rupture the temporal
faults. She despises what she calls his “pigheadedness” but patterns of her life.
ultimately sees him as a kind man who never wishes anybody However, instead of counting down to a doomsday scenario, at
any harm. the end of the story, the calendar is still just scrap paper. Mrs.
However, despite her overall positive opinion of Frank, it is Burridge uses it to write her grocery list and nothing more. The
obvious that Mrs. Burridge no longer loves him. They do not calendar never actually represents a countdown to extinction,
communicate in any significant way, but instead revert to then, though it is still a memento mori—a constant reminder of
common rituals that feel comfortable. For instance, Mrs. the inevitability of death—for Mrs. Burridge.
Burridge will tease Frank about what he eats, and he responds
that she needs to have more fun in life. This is not a sporadic
moment in the story, but rather something that happens on a QUO
QUOTES
TES
daily basis, always more or less the same way. This creates a
monotonous existence for both Frank and Mrs. Burridge that Note: all page numbers for the quotes below refer to the
they seem unable to break out of. Again, Frank’s thoughts never Vintage edition of Dancing Girls: And Other Stories published
enter the narration, but Mrs. Burridge is clearly unhappy. Her in 1996.
fantasies take the form of hiding things from Frank and
abandoning him in the event of a catastrophe—fantasies that, When It Happens Quotes
as the story goes on, Mrs. Burridge almost seems to want to It used to annoy Mrs. Burridge, especially the crumbs, but
happen. Although these fantasies are also spurred on by other now she watches him with a kind of sadness; she once thought
larger social institutions such as the media, the core of Mrs. their life together would go on forever but she has come to
Burridge’s uncertainty and unhappiness originates in her realize this is not the case.
marriage, which has settled into a seemingly unbreakable
cycle—one so stagnant that it can only be broken by an
apocalyptic event. Related Characters: Mrs. Burridge, Frank Burridge

Related Themes:
SYMBOLS
Page Number: 120
Symbols appear in teal text throughout the Summary and
Explanation and Analysis
Analysis sections of this LitChart.
This is a passage from early in the story that sets up some of
its primary themes while also establishing the Burridges’
THE CALENDAR PAGE relationship. Specifically, this moment occurs while Mrs.
The calendar pages in “When It Happens” Burridge is thinking about how Frank often makes a mess
symbolize the time Mrs. Burridge feels she is while eating her green tomato pickle. Although Frank’s mess
wasting. Calendars are objects that track time, and Mrs. used to annoy her, her annoyance is now displaced by
Burridge’s page-a-day calendar condenses the span of a year sadness.
into a single, disposable space. Presumably, at the end of each The second half of the quote has a dual meaning, part of
day, Mrs. Burridge rips off a calendar page to reveal the next which only becomes apparent later in the story. On the
one. She then uses the discarded calendar pages to complete surface, it seems as though Mrs. Burridge is talking about
menial tasks, such as writing her grocery list. Throughout the death; after all, both she and Frank are getting old and
story, it is revealed that Mrs. Burridge is dissatisfied with her eventually, one of them will die. Indeed, aging and death are
life; she feels that she has fallen into a repetitious and empty central concerns in the story. However, the latter half of the
state of being. Similarly, she treats the calendar pages—symbols story reveals the secondary nature of Mrs. Burridge’s
of the passage of time—as though they are completely concern; she is not simply worried about death, she is
expendable. worried about the end of the world.
The calendar is also significant because it is a gift that Frank Much of “When It Happens” is similar to this quote in that it
gets her every year. Therefore, it not only represents the
passage of time, but also a sense of repetition within that time.

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When the second batch is on and simmering she goes to
utilizes ambiguity to make Mrs. Burridge’s worries initially the back door, opens it and stands with her arms folded
relatable, even though they are ultimately revealed to be across her stomach, looking out. She catches herself doing this
more apocalyptic than they appear on the surface. four or five times a day now and she doesn’t quite know why . . .
She isn’t sure what she is looking for but she has the odd idea
she may see something burning, smoke coming up from the
On paper Frank is making more money than he ever has: horizon, a column of it or perhaps more than one column, off to
yet they seem to have less to spend. They could always sell the south.
the farm, she supposes, to people from the city who would use
it as a weekend place; they could get what seems like a very Related Characters: Mrs. Burridge
high price, several of the farms south of them have gone that
way. But Mrs. Burridge does not have much faith in money; also Related Themes:
it is a waste of the land, this is her home, she has it arranged the
way she wants it. Page Number: 121

Explanation and Analysis

Related Characters: Mrs. Burridge, Frank Burridge
While cooking green tomato pickle, or performing other
household errands, Mrs. Burridge regularly goes to her
Related Themes:
back door and does exactly what is described in this quote.
Page Number: 121 In part, this is a ritual created out of boredom; everything
Mrs. Burridge does around the house she has done for
Explanation and Analysis decades, and while it comforts her, it also leaves her with a
While canning her green tomato pickle, Mrs. Burridge lot of time on her hands. This passage clearly demonstrates
spends much of her time thinking about her economic the compulsive and repetitive nature of her actions.
situation. As is often the case, even if things seem to being Furthermore, Mrs. Burridge’s description of what she will
going okay on the surface, Mrs. Burridge finds a reason to see on the horizon—smoke on the horizon—evokes imagery
worry. of nuclear warfare. “When It Happens” was written during
Another constant in this story, which is made apparent in the Cold War, a period when the possibility of a nuclear
this quotation, is Mrs. Burridge’s fear of people from the weapons strike was very real. Mrs. Burridge’s repeated trips
city. Over the course of the story, it becomes clear that Mrs. to the back door suggest that the vague, looming threat of
Burridge has never met someone outside of her small nuclear warfare is closely tied to her mundane everyday
community, nor does she ever intend to. The idea that experience. This connection, in turn, hints that Mrs.
someone would use her house as a weekend getaway rather Burridge’s isolation and domestic boredom make her
than a home is offensive to Mrs. Burridge. She fears what especially vulnerable to apocalyptic fears.
others would do to the space she has carefully arranged,
especially if those others are people she does not know or
understand. The cellar is the old kind, with stone walls and a dirt floor.
Additionally, this quote demonstrates Mrs. Burridge’s Mrs. Burridge likes to have everything neat . . . The pickles
tendency to contradict herself. She is worried about money, go on one side, jams and jellies on the other, and the quarts of
yet she also has little faith in it. This speaks both to her preserves along the bottom. It used to make her feel safe to
incessant worrying about mundane things and her have all that food in the cellar; she would think to herself, Well,
pessimism about the larger world. if there’s a snowstorm or anything and we’re cut off, it won’t be
so bad. It doesn’t make her feel safe any more. Instead she
thinks that if she has to leave suddenly she won’t be able to take
any of the jars with her, they’d be too heavy to carry.

Related Characters: Mrs. Burridge

Related Themes:

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Page Number: 122 this is a moment where she feels that independence slipping
away.
Explanation and Analysis Additionally, this is a moment in the story where Frank
This passage comes after Mrs. Burridge completes her appears rather cold-hearted or at least neglectful. Despite
batch of green tomato pickle and moves it into the cellar. the fact that his wife injured herself coming up the steps, he
Mrs. Burridge’s cellar is a spatial representation of her has still neglected to repair them and instead accuses his
desire to control everything around her, including Frank. wife of nagging.
She made Frank build her the shelves, which she now uses However, the most striking part of this passage is its final
to neatly order all of her canned food. lines, which reveal the core problem of the Burridges’
However, even a cellar stocked with food is no longer relationship: they are stuck with one another. At this point,
enough to put a stop to Mrs. Burridge’s worrying. Mrs. after raising three kids and living way out in the country, the
Burridge has not yet entirely revealed her fears of the Burridges have no one else to turn to except one another.
coming apocalypse, so this moment in the story is another This is a horrible truth that Mrs. Burridge finds difficult to
instance of foreshadowing. At this point, all readers know is contemplate. Her apocalyptic fantasies could even be
that Mrs. Burridge has some vague fear of the future—a interpreted as a way to cope with this ominous sense of
fear that includes the possibility of leaving her well-stocked isolation or perhaps to explore it indirectly.
home suddenly. It is clear at this point that it would be
devastating for Mrs. Burridge to leave her home, as it is the
one place she feels she has control over. Leaving home, and He can’t protect me. She doesn’t think this on purpose, it
her carefully-stocked shelves of preserves, would represent simply occurs to her, and it isn’t only him, it’s all of them,
a catastrophic loss of control for Mrs. Burridge. they’ve lost the power, you can tell by the way they walk. They
are all waiting, just as Mrs. Burridge is, for whatever it is to
happen. Whether they realize it or not.
She comes back up the stairs after the last trip. It’s not as
easy as it used to be, her knee still bothers her as it has
Related Characters: Mrs. Burridge, Frank Burridge
ever since she fell six years ago, she tripped on the second-last
step. She’s asked Frank a million times to fix the stairs but he Related Themes:
hasn’t done it, that’s what she means by pig-headed. If she asks
him more than twice to do something he calls it nagging, and Page Number: 122
maybe it is, but who’s going to do it if he won’t? The cold vacant
hole at the back of this question is too much for her. Explanation and Analysis
After returning from the cellar, Mrs. Burridge walks over to
Related Characters: Mrs. Burridge, Frank Burridge a window and watches Frank walk toward the barn. While
looking at Frank, Mrs. Burridge notices how much he is
Related Themes: showing his age, which leads her to think about his inability
to protect her. Although Mrs. Burridge is most concerned
Page Number: 122 about Frank—he is her husband, after all—she also worries
about the entire generation of men that Frank is a part of,
Explanation and Analysis the same generation that fought in World War II. Frank
After storing the green tomato pickle in the cellar, Mrs. himself is never explicitly stated to be a veteran, although
Burridge makes her way back upstairs, resulting in this certain details in the story suggest he might be.
moment of the story. This passage highlights the problem of As Mrs. Burridge watches her husband, she is stricken by
aging—something that only moves more to the forefront as the extent to which he has aged. He is now someone in need
the story progresses—and gets to the depressing core of of protection rather than someone who can be relied upon
the Burridges’ relationship. to do the protecting. Mrs. Burridge is convinced that
Clearly, Mrs. Burridge cannot make her way up the stairs as everyone is like her: waiting for something to happen, even
easily as she used to. She worries about what this means in if they do not know it. Again, this is another instance where
regard to taking care of herself; given her apocalyptic Mrs. Burridge appears to be talking about death, making the
beliefs about the future, self-reliance will be important, and statement universal and therefore relatable, even though it

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will soon be revealed that she is thinking about something Explanation and Analysis
more extreme.
This quote comes after Mrs. Burridge sits down to make her
shopping list and begins thinking about a possible
apocalyptic scenario. As with previous moments in the
All her life, ever since she got married, she has made lists story, this section highlights her desire to be able to control
of things that have to be bought, sewed, planed, cooked, the future. It also demonstrates her steadfast belief that
stored; she already has her list made for next Christmas, all the everyone agrees with her that something bad will happen,
names and the gift she will buy for each, and the list of what she although no one else in the story ever validates this belief.
needs for Christmas dinner. But she can’t seem to get
Furthermore, this passage makes mention of the media, a
interested in it, it’s too far away. She can’t believe in a distant
social influence that is important to this story, even if it only
future that is orderly like the past, she no longer seems to have
appears in a few brief moments. Here and elsewhere, it is
the energy; it’s as if she is saving it up for when she will have to
made clear that Mrs. Burridge does not trust the media and
use it.
therefore cannot rely on it for accurate information.
However, she does seem to believe that the media is useful
Related Characters: Mrs. Burridge as a purveyor of disinformation—information that is
deliberately meant to mislead. Rather than using the media
Related Themes: for information in any traditional sense, then, Mrs. Burridge
uses what the media says as proof that the opposite is true.
Page Number: 123

Explanation and Analysis

This quote comes shortly after the previous one, while Mrs. It is about this time too that she takes one of the guns, she
Burridge is still staring out the back window. This passage thinks it will be the shotgun as she will have a better
reveals the extent to which Mrs. Burridge has always made chance of hitting something, and hides it along with the shells,
sure to plan well in advance, a ritual that made her feel safe. under a piece of roofing behind the barn. She does not tell
However, she is no longer able to do so; time is too slippery Frank; he will have the twenty-two. She has already picked out
now and her old age does not allow for her to do as much. the spot.
Although the narration—which is influenced by Mrs.
Burridge’s perspective—suggests that she may be saving up Related Characters: Mrs. Burridge, Frank Burridge
her energy, the rest of “When It Happens” tells a different
story. Instead, there is a much more frightening possibility: Related Themes:
Mrs. Burridge may not have any energy left. The careful
planning that has sustained her thus far is no longer a viable Page Number: 126
option—at least as far as she is concerned—because of her Explanation and Analysis
fear of the apocalypse, a scenario where, even in her own
mind, she fares poorly and must struggle just to survive. Toward the end of the story, Mrs. Burridge begins thinking
about the order in which bad things will happen. This
passage comes directly after Mrs. Burridge thinks about
seeing strange men near her property, presumably those
Mrs. Burridge wishes someone would be more precise, so fleeing from cities.
she could make better plans. Everyone knows something is
Although it is difficult to judge in each moment how serious
going to happen, you can tell by reading the newspapers and
Mrs. Burridge is about her potential future actions, this
watching the television, but nobody is sure what it will be,
quote offers a damning picture of the Burridges’
nobody can be exact.
relationship. Mrs. Burridge does not trust Frank at all and
would rather rely on herself than tell him the truth. This is
Related Characters: Mrs. Burridge especially problematic given that Mrs. Burridge has never
fired a gun in her life, nor does she plan on asking Frank to
Related Themes: help her. Even she does not have any faith in her abilities,
which is why she chooses the easier-to-handle shotgun.
Page Number: 124 Because it’s not yet clear what Mrs. Burridge intends to do

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with the shotgun, this quote shifts toward a markedly more this.
ominous tone in the story.

She must wait until they are close enough and then she
He comes out, kisses her goodbye, which is unusual too, must raise the gun and shoot them, using one barrel for
and says he’ll be back in a couple of hours. She watches the each, aiming at the faces. Otherwise, they will kill her, she has
three of them drive off in Henry Clarke’s truck, towards the no doubt about that. She will have to be fast, which is too bad
smoke, she knows he will not come back. She supposes she because her hands feel thick and wooden; she is afraid, she
ought to feel more emotional about it, but she is well prepared, does not want the loud noise of the burst of red that will follow,
she has been saying goodbye to him silently for years. she has never killed anything in her life. She has no pictures
beyond this point. You never know how you will act in a thing
like that until it actually happens.
Related Characters: Mrs. Burridge, Frank Burridge, Henry
Clarke
Related Characters: Mrs. Burridge
Related Themes:
Related Themes:
Page Number: 127
Page Number: 129
Explanation and Analysis
At this point, the story has begun to blur the lines between Explanation and Analysis
what is real and what is in Mrs. Burridge’s head. Although it This passage comes at the end of the story. Mrs. Burridge
is eventually made clear that this moment is imagined, the has set off on her own into the wilderness where she
narration is immediate, suggesting that these events are encounters two men, both of whom she believes mean her
actually happening. This quote comes shortly into Mrs. harm. Presumably, these men are from the city or
Burridge’s imagined apocalypse, just after she and Frank someplace else that’s unfamiliar, because Mrs. Burridge has
spot smoke on the horizon. a hard time imaging how they will speak and because she
In this passage, Frank comes off as quite heroic, running immediately finds them threatening.
toward trouble rather than away from it like his wife. It is this moment in Mrs. Burridge’s daydream where she
Although it may seem like Mrs. Burridge has a high opinion realizes that no matter what she does, she cannot prepare
of her husband given that this is how she imagines him, she for such a scenario. Her imagination can only go so far, and
quickly undermines that fact with her unemotional her life experience has not prepared her for the horrors she
goodbye. would face in this type of situation. Although Mrs. Burridge
In addition, this is another moment where Mrs. Burridge’s acknowledges her inability to prepare for such things, it is
paranoid visions of the future intersect with a genuine not clear that she comes to terms with it. Shortly after this
moment in her personal life. Though the events she moment in her fantasy, Mrs. Burridge snaps back to
describes never come to fruition, she has been “saying mundane reality, where she’s writing her shopping list. The
goodbye” to Frank for years. Their relationship has slowly abrupt ending of her daydream underscores the story’s link
crumbled and Frank’s place in her daydreams is proof of between Mrs. Burridge’s isolated, stagnant life and the
uncontrollable future she fears.

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SUMMARY AND ANAL

ANALYSIS
YSIS
The color-coded icons under each analysis entry make it easy to track where the themes occur most prominently throughout the
work. Each icon corresponds to one of the themes explained in the Themes section of this LitChart.

WHEN IT HAPPENS
Mrs. Burridge stores 12 quarts of green tomato pickles in jars. As readers are introduced to Mrs. Burridge, they learn that she is
She knows there is a strike at the factory that makes her jars, so keenly aware of the economic factors at play in her local economy;
she is happy she has so many left over in her cellar. Mrs. she knows about a strike at the jar factory and she is aware of how
Burridge has lots of green tomatoes because she spent the the weather will affect the price of green tomatoes. It’s surprising
previous evening picking all she could find after hearing a frost that she would care about details like this, which suggests that she
was coming. She makes her husband Frank help her—which she goes out of her way to pay attention to such things. Additionally, it is
says he likes to do—although she knows she can do the task clear that Mrs. Burridge likes to feel in control. She claims Frank
herself. The news claims that the price of green tomatoes will likes to help her out, although later she will contradict herself.
rise after the frost, but Mrs. Burridge thinks that the stores will
reap the benefit, not the growers.

Mrs. Burridge feels as though she has grown wealthier, despite There is much that goes unsaid between Mrs. Burridge and Frank,
the relative uselessness of the green tomatoes. Frank is as though they have had similar conversations before and don’t
skeptical that the two of them can eat such a large amount of think such trivial matters are worth arguing over anymore. Mrs.
green tomato pickle, as they live by themselves. Mrs. Burridge Burridge also seems to hold back because she does not know how
believes that Frank will eat them all himself, although she does much longer the two of them will be together. The Burridges’
not say so out loud. She thinks about how Frank eats the pickle marriage has a sense of comfortable familiarity, but perhaps also
constantly and often makes a mess. At one point, the mess stagnation.
bothered Mrs. Burridge, but now it just makes her sad because
it makes her think about how their lives together will eventually
come to an end.

Mrs. Burridge regularly jokes with Frank about how much he Mrs. Burridge and Frank have fallen into patterns of behavior that
eats. She no longer gets any joy out of doing this, but she feels it they recognize, but continue to do anyway. This appears to be the
is expected of her. In response, Frank tells her “You need a little only way the two of them still communicate, so it is a necessary
fun in life.” This back and forth is a common ritual for the two of ritual to keep up. Instead of speaking with her husband, Mrs.
them and Mrs. Burridge generally ignores Frank and continues Burridge prefers to tend to and think about her garden, which allows
to garden and make a lot of pickles. Mrs. Burridge started her her to be self-sustainable. Like her conversations with Frank, Mrs.
garden in 1952 and has made pickles ever since. During that Burridge’s gardening is a ritual she has kept up over many years and
time, she was pregnant with her daughter Sarah, which made it remains a source of comfort for her. It is also something she
gardening difficult. When Mrs. Burridge was young, making associates with her daughter Sarah and the bringing forth of new
your own pickles was a common practice, but it died out after life.
World War II because pickles became available in stores. Mrs.
Burridge’s friends don’t understand why she continues to make
her own pickles, but she is glad she kept it up because store
prices continue to increase.

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Although Frank brings in more money than ever, Mrs. Burridge Here, Mrs. Burridge contradicts herself; she is worried about money,
feels as though they are becoming poorer. She thinks about yet claims she does not have faith in it. The same can be said of
selling their farm to someone from the city who wants a many of Mrs. Burridge’s worries throughout the story, and as the
weekend getaway, but she “does not have much faith in money.” contradictory statements begin to add up, it becomes clear that
In addition, she feels like the new owner would not make use of worrying is a hobby for Mrs. Burridge. Additionally, this is the first of
the land, and she does not want to give up her home. several times Mrs. Burridge will express fear of city people. For her,
the city is an example of the unknown, and as the story progresses, it
becomes increasingly clear that Mrs. Burridge does not know how
to cope with the unknown.

While waiting for her second batch of pickle to simmer, Mrs. Searching the horizon is something Mrs. Burridge does when she is
Burridge “goes to the back door, opens it and stands with her bored. Once her pickle is on the stove, she does not know what else
arms folded across her stomach, looking out.” This is something to do with herself and so she stares at the horizon and worries.
she does several times per day but does not know why. There is Again, the horizon is an example of the unknown—it is a space she
nothing special to look at, but she feels as though one day she looks at, but it is not one she is familiar with. Mrs. Burridge’s
will see a fire on the horizon. However, she does not tell anyone descriptions of what she might see on the horizon bring to mind
about what she is thinking, including Frank. When Frank asks nuclear warfare, a very real threat at the time this story was written.
her about what she is doing, she tells a bad lie and says she In addition, this section again highlights the disconnect between
heard a dog’s bark that she did not recognize. Mrs. Burridge and Frank. Although they converse with one another,
they do not speak openly and honestly about their inner lives,
suggesting that though their marriage is familiar, it’s not truly
intimate.

Frank does not press Mrs. Burridge on her lie any further. She Mrs. Burridge likes to make guesses about what Frank is thinking,
thinks it’s because he does not want to bring up the odd but she does not appear to know his thoughts any better than he
behavior she’s begun to exhibit in her old age. This makes sense knows hers. Additionally, it is significant that Mrs. Burridge admits
to Mrs. Burridge because although Frank is messy, it pains him to her “odd behavior” because up to now, she has come off as
to hurt someone’s feelings. Mrs. Burridge is annoyed by his relatively normal. This admission flags Mrs. Burridge as an
“pigheadedness” but ultimately finds him to be “a kind and unreliable figure and changes the tone of the story. Also, Mrs.
likable man.” It is difficult for her to admit this to herself Burridge’s opinions of Frank suggest that their marriage is not truly
because of how often Frank makes her angry. happy; the anger she feels toward him overrides any sense of
fondness.

After the pickles cool, Mrs. Burridge creates labels and then Mrs. Burridge’s well-organized cellar is another example of her
moves the jars down to the cellar. Mrs. Burridge is well- desire for control. She cannot help it if bad weather comes, but she
organized and always makes sure each of her preserved foods can make sure she is prepared. However, contradicting her desire for
gets its own spot. Seeing all of the food in the cellar used to control is her insatiable capacity for worrying. Although she has all
make Mrs. Burridge feels safe because she and Frank would be the food she could ever need, she is still not satisfied; instead she
okay if bad weather temporarily cut them off from civilization. finds another scenario to worry about, one in which the food is
However, now Mrs. Burridge worries that some sort of crisis rendered almost useless.
could make her leave her home and she knows she cannot take
all of the jars with her.

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After placing the pickles in the cellar, Mrs. Burridge goes back Mrs. Burridge’s age is another source of distress for her. Old age is
up the stairs. In recent years, climbing the stairs has become hindering her ability to rely on herself and her only other option is
more difficult for Mrs. Burridge because her knee bothers her Frank. However, unlike she claimed previously, Frank apparently
from tripping up them previously. Mrs. Burridge repeatedly does not like to help her. This is deeply troubling to Mrs. Burridge;
asks Frank to fix the stairs to avoid subsequent falls, but he has she spent her entire life relying on two people—one being
yet to do so. Instead, he tells her she is nagging him whenever herself—and soon neither will be a viable option. Although much of
she repeats the request. Even though Mrs. Burridge agrees Mrs. Burridge’s worrying throughout the story is excessive, this
that she might be nagging him, she thinks “but who’s going to particular concern is legitimate and significant. In fact, it is generally
do it if he won’t?” There is an emptiness in this question that true that Mrs. Burridge’s anxieties can be traced back to reasonable
Mrs. Burridge finds difficult to deal with. and relatable sources.

Now back on the first floor of their home, Mrs. Burridge By not going to the back door, Mrs. Burridge seems to acknowledge
actively resists taking another trip to the back door. However, that her actions are unhealthy. Of course, moving to the window is
as an alternative, she goes to the back window where the view no better, but the view she is treated to does anchor her worries
is more or less the same. She sees Franks moving to their barn about Frank in reality. Indeed, Frank does appear old and soon there
with something that looks like a wrench in his hand. Frank will be tasks he can no longer perform. Frank is of a generation of
walks gingerly and slightly hunched over, showing his age. Mrs. men who fought in World War II, although it is not clear if he is a
Burridge wonders how long he’s walked like that and thinks veteran. Regardless, there is a sadness and a dread Mrs. Burridge
about how he can no longer protect her. Mrs. Burridge knows feels about this generation losing their “power” to old age. Although
that this isn’t just true of Frank, but also of other men his age. Mrs. Burridge will shortly reveal her ideas about what is to “happen,”
She believes it is clear by the way they walk that “they’ve lost here it sounds as though she is simply talking about death. Again,
the power.” Instead, she thinks, “They are all waiting [...] for although she will soon go in a more surprising direction, her fears
whatever it is to happen. Whether they realize it or not.” about old age and death are universally relatable.

When Mrs. Burridge goes into town and sees other women, Perhaps the townsfolk are stricken by fear and anxiety, but Mrs.
she reads anxiety and fear in their faces. She thinks that, like Burridge should not necessarily be taken at her word. Although she
her, they are worried about their capabilities in a crisis. Mrs. regularly reads the thoughts and emotions of others, the narration
Burridge relates to the fear and so, for the last few weeks, she’s never leaves her limited perspective and therefore the feelings of
wanted Frank to show her how to handle one of his guns. Frank others are never confirmed. Additionally, it appears Mrs. Burridge’s
typically uses his guns for hunting ducks and the groundhogs fears are ramping up and she is attempting to transition from
that ruin their fields. In this case, Mrs. Burridge is concerned thoughts to actions. If Frank can no longer take care of her, then she
about her safety, but she does not want to ask Frank because wants to take care of herself. Once again, Frank appears oblivious to
she does not want to tell him what she thinks will happen. If her true intentions and it is reiterated that the two of them
Mrs. Burridge doesn’t tell him the truth, then she thinks Frank essentially live in separate spheres of existence.
will tease her, saying, “who you planning to kill?” On second
thought, she is unsure if this will be his response because she
stopped paying attention to “things outside the house” 20 years
ago.

Mrs. Burridge knows she will never hear Frank’s response to Again, Mrs. Burridge does not want to tell Frank what she is
her question because she never plans to ask him. She does not thinking. Death and separation, or whatever she expects to
want to tell him her fears such as, “Maybe you’ll be dead. Maybe “happen” someday, are too much for her to put into words and so
you’ll go off somewhere when it happens, maybe there will be a war.” she is left with her thoughts. As is the case for much of the story,
All of these thoughts occur to her as she is looking out the back Mrs. Burridge moves suddenly from profound subjects to mundane
window. However, she sees nothing outside, so she moves to matters such as making a grocery list.
the kitchen to make a shopping list.

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Mrs. Burridge’s trip into town is the next day, and she wants to It is significant that Mrs. Burridge cannot be on her feet for too long,
plan it so that she is not on her feet for too long. If she puts too both because it is a bit of foreshadowing and because it again
much stress on her feet, they begin to swell, something that reveals the limitations of her old age. Her ability to plan ahead is
first occurred after Sarah was born. Mrs. Burridge has always also hindered, even if she is just thinking about the next few days.
been good about planning things in advance and already has Additionally, the calendar page on which Mrs. Burridge writes is a
next Christmas planned. However, now she finds this difficult representation of the time she has wasted and the time she has left.
because she believes the future is so uncertain. Instead, she It is a constant reminder of her own mortality, although not one she
would rather save her energy in case something happens. Even consciously recognizes.
the shopping list—which she writes on the back of a calendar
page— is difficult for her to focus on.

Rather than write her list, Mrs. Burridge gazes around the It appears that Mrs. Burridge’s current preoccupation is the fear she
room and thinks about all of the things she cannot take with her will have to leave her home, a space she simultaneously loves and
if she is forced to leave her home. In particular, she is sad at the feels trapped in. Her love for her family—or at least what her family
idea of leaving behind valuable and sentimental items, such as used to be—shines through, although it is not without regrets. The
her mother’s fine china, gifts for her children, and her fact that Frank’s wedding suit is now only used for funerals is yet
grandmother’s quilt. She also thinks about her wedding photos, another reminder of the Burridges’ mortality. In addition, it could
which show her in satin—a decision she regrets—and Frank in a suggest that marrying Frank was a sort of metaphorical death for
suit that he only puts on now to go to funerals. In addition, she Mrs. Burridge. Mrs. Burridge not wanting grandchildren indicates a
thinks of her children’s baby pictures and worries about her deep pessimism about the future, which is especially telling given
potential grandchildren. She hopes that her kids will not have that she seems to treasure family in general.
children of their own because “it is no longer the right time for
it.”

Mrs. Burridge wants someone to tell her what is going to Although it is not mentioned frequently, the media played a
happen so she can be prepared. She thinks everyone feels the significant role in how Mrs. Burridge now thinks. She suspects that
way she does because of what she sees in the media. However, they are always lying, and without media she can trust or other
“nobody can be exact.” That said, Mrs. Burridge has her people around, she is left to her own thoughts. At this point, it
thoughts about what will happen. She thinks the world will becomes clear that Mrs. Burridge is worried about an earth-
become quiet, giving her the sense that something is off. There shattering event. She never provides specifics, although once again
will be no more planes in the sky and very few noises from cars the possibility of nuclear war is hinted at.
on the nearby highway. She believes the media will downplay
the catastrophe and instead become “sweet-tempered and
placating” rather than report on negative material like they do
currently. This behavior will be a result of censorship,
something Mrs. Burridge experienced during World War II.

Afterwards, Mrs. Burridge is unsure of the order in which Mrs. Burridge is careful to keep her claims vague. She does not seem
things will happen. However, she believes that soon—without to know a lot about geopolitics but she is skeptical of political
explanation—there will be no more gas and oil, something she institutions and does not believe that they are truthful to everyday
will realize when the delivery man does not show up. She thinks people. Although she and Frank are largely self-sustaining in their
the powers that be—exactly who this is she does not know—will lifestyle, their isolation leaves them vulnerable to the media’s lies, as
not want people to panic. Instead, they will want things to look she sees it, because they have no one around to confirm or deny the
normal, even if they are not. Mrs. Burridge worries that is the media’s claims.
case even in the present moment. She feels lucky that she and
Frank store a fuel tank in their shed, a private gas pump, and a
wood stove.

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Mrs. Burridge also thinks the phone wires will go down and no Mrs. Burridge’s fear of city people is apparent in this section. The
one will repair them. This doesn’t bother Mrs. Burridge too people who “will not look like the locals” are presumably those who
much because she does not like the phone, but it will cause are retreating from cities, and Mrs. Burridge treats them like
increased isolation. Around the same time, she thinks she will harbingers of the apocalypse. It is also clear that she has no desire
see young men walking along their back road, moving north. to help such people and instead wants to try to scare them off.
They will not look like the locals. Mrs. Burridge has not seen
anyone on the back road in a long time and so this will be a
cause for concern. She will have to let her dogs roam free to
scare off potential intruders.

Mrs. Burridge previously had to keep her dogs chained because Jehovah’s Witnesses are a sect of Christianity that believes
they once bit a Jehovah’s Witness. Mrs. Burridge is not a Armageddon is close at hand. Armageddon is essentially the biblical
Jehovah’s Witness herself, “but she respects their version of the apocalypse that results in hell on earth. Although Mrs.
perseverance.” She also regularly purchases issues of Burridge does not personally hold such religious beliefs, the fact that
Watchtower, the monthly religious magazine circulated by she regularly consumes apocalyptic ideas and is beginning to be
Jehovah’s Witnesses. Now she is starting to think that the swayed by them is revealing of her current mindset.
Jehovah’s Witnesses are correct.

When the phone lines go down and Mrs. Burridge starts seeing Mrs. Burridge’s lack of trust in Frank is solidified in this section. Even
men on the back road, she plans to take one of Frank’s guns, in an apocalyptic scenario, she plans to lie to him. Furthermore, the
probably the shotgun, and hide it under the roofing that sits on detail she includes in this daydream suggests she has thought about
the backside of their barn. She does not plan to tell Frank about such things many times before. Yet, even in her daydreams, she still
this because he will have his own gun. Also, during this time, she finds time to digress and be mad at Frank, in this case for turkey
and Frank will need to use gasoline scarcely and they will have farming. This suggests that her feelings about the direction of the
to eat their chickens. Mrs. Burridge hates preparing chickens world in general are largely tied to the direction of her personal life,
and so she is especially not looking forward to doing so. It although she is completely unaware of this fact.
reminds her of “the angriest she ever got at Frank,” which is
when he tried his hand at turkey farming. She hated the turkeys
because she found them to be stupid and they ruined her
garden. In addition, she had to pluck one turkey per week, and
ultimately, they did not make any money.

The next step in Mrs. Burridge’s vision of the future is for the Mrs. Burridge’s predictions are once again shown to be excessively
electricity to slowly fade until it no longer works at all. She pessimistic, although the events she has lived through help to
thinks this will ironically occur in November when food could explain this. Both World War II and the Great Depression resulted in
be kept frozen outdoors anyway. Mrs. Burridge recalls the a fair degree of skepticism of social and economic institutions such
sentiment during the Great Depression that farm people had as banks and the media. Many people of Mrs. Burridge’s generation
an advantage over those in the city because they had food. remained skeptical of such institutions their entire lives, although,
However, Mrs. Burridge is worried that is no longer the case. once again, Mrs. Burridge certainly represents an extreme version of
Instead, she and Frank will be completely isolated, and no this style of thinking.
electricity means no radio, television, or music.

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One day, Mrs. Burridge wakes up to find “columns of smoke,” so Here, fantasy begins to blend with reality. Atwood will occasionally
she finds Frank and the two of them stand and watch. It looks drop in subtle clues such as grocery list items to hint that the
as though something has blown up. This makes Mrs. Burridge forthcoming events are not real, but the narrative style becomes
concerned for her children. She has not heard from them in much more immediate. Notice that Mrs. Burridge is no longer
quite some time because there has not been any mail. Soon thinking about what will happen; she imagines she is actually in an
Henry Clarke shows up in a large truck with a man from a apocalyptic scenario. Crucially, she does not trust Frank—who
nearby farm. Frank gives them all of the remaining gas and then comes off as rather heroic here—and instead lies to him about his
tells Mrs. Burridge that the two men are going to check out “a gun. Instead, she acts selfishly because she believes she must in
little trouble down the road.” He then asks Mrs. Burridge for order to survive.
the shotgun, and she says she does not know where it is. He
looks for it, cannot find it, and then kisses her goodbye before
leaving with Henry Clarke and the other farmer.

Mrs. Burridge “knows” Frank will not be back. She is not Although this moment is imagined, it once again speaks to the
emotional about this moment because “she has been saying failure of Mrs. Burridge and Frank’s relationship. As she sends her
goodbye to him silently for years.” She moves back inside. At 51 husband to his death, she doesn’t shed a single tear and instead she
years old and in pain, she realizes she cannot stay put in her focuses entirely on herself. In order to survive, Mrs. Burridge thinks
home. In the days and weeks to come, she believes her isolated, she must be ruthless and expects others to do the same.
well-stocked home will attract hungry people. They will fight
over the land and food, but this is not a fight she wants any part
in.

Mrs. Burridge begins packing, bringing along warm clothes, Even as she prepares to leave, Mrs. Burridge’s limitations are
food, and the hidden shotgun. She considers killing the animals obvious. She has never killed an animal before and she is only able
so that others will not do so incorrectly, but then remembers to take a limited amount of food. She also continues to worry about
that she does not know how to do so herself; it was always things that do not matter at all in this scenario, such as what will
Frank’s job. Instead, she opens the gates so that the animals can happen to her house once she is not there. Furthermore, although
run free, although she suspects they won’t. Afterwards, she she seems more than willing to set off on her own, her reliance on
looks at the house one more time, which causes her to go inside common domestic comforts such as a toothbrush suggests that she
and get a toothbrush. She does not take anything from the is not prepared for what is to come.
cellar, but she worries that those who come to the house will be
wasteful. She even considers burning the house down,
although she decides against it.

Mrs. Burridge thinks about what to do with the dogs. Again, death is always on Mrs. Burridge’s mind, as the family
Eventually, she allows them to run free, although she does not cemetery manages to make it into her daydream. One indication
let them come with her for fear that they will draw attention. that this scenario exists only in Mrs. Burridge’s mind is the fact that
She begins moving north, passing the family cemetery. She she never mentions her feet hurting (something that came up earlier
does not see anyone else around and worries she has done all in her normal, everyday routine), despite presumably walking for
of this for nothing. Eventually evening comes and Mrs. many miles.
Burridge is weary. She knows the road she is on but is
unfamiliar with the specific location. Soon she finds a stream
and drinks from it before heading into a forest where she can
avoid being seen. She plans on taking a break and eating while
waiting for the moon to come out so she can go back to walking.

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Mrs. Burridge moves into the woods but quickly comes across Before the first day is over, Mrs. Burridge is already in distress, which
two men at a fire. They see her and one starts moving in her not a good sign for someone who spends a lot of time preparing for
direction. He smiles—which Mrs. Burridge takes as a such a scenario. Interestingly, Mrs. Burridge momentarily breaks the
threat—and says something, but Mrs. Burridge does not know illusion of the daydream by admitting that she does not know how
what because “she does not know how people dressed like that such men “would talk.” This implies that the two men are from
would talk.” The men see her gun and Mrs. Burridge thinks they somewhere else and are therefore extra threatening to Mrs.
want to take it. When the men get closer, Mrs. Burridge decides Burridge; it also clues readers into the fact that this scenario is a
that she must shoot them, otherwise she will die. product of Mrs. Burridge’s imagination.

Mrs. Burridge knows she will have to fire the gun quickly but is In this climactic moment, Mrs. Burridge realizes that such an event
worried about her ability to do so. She has never killed anything is not something she can plan for. Until this scenario occurs, she
and is worried about “the loud noise or the burst of red that will cannot know how she will react. Even so, the fact that she continues
follow.” She thinks about how it is impossible to know what her to stare at her clock suggests she will continue to fixate on the issue.
response will be until she actually pulls the trigger. Suddenly, Yet, she also must continue to live her ordinary, mundane life, and
the scene shifts back to Mrs. Burridge’s kitchen, and Mrs. she does manage to finish her grocery list. Ultimately, the ending is
Burridge is staring at her clock. She writes “Cheese” on her ambiguous; although the apocalyptic scenario is clearly imagined,
grocery list and then moves toward the kitchen door. Mrs. Burridge’s feelings toward it are unresolved, and the fact that
she returns to her accustomed spot at the kitchen door suggests
that she will continue to dwell on apocalyptic scenarios like this one.

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To cite any of the quotes from When It Happens covered in the

HOW T
TO
O CITE Quotes section of this LitChart:
To cite this LitChart: MLA
MLA Atwood, Margaret. When It Happens. Vintage. 1996.
Sawyer, Ian. "When It Happens." LitCharts. LitCharts LLC, 16 Sep CHICA
CHICAGO
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2022. Web. 16 Sep 2022.
Atwood, Margaret. When It Happens. New York: Vintage. 1996.
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Sawyer, Ian. "When It Happens." LitCharts LLC, September 16,
2022. Retrieved September 16, 2022. https://www.litcharts.com/
lit/when-it-happens.

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