In life, we are always told to "live in the present," or to live "for now"... but that assumes that there is a past and a future. Living in the present could be a difficult feat, especially if you live in a world like Winnie's in Happy Days, where time just seems to stand still. Nothing changes. Nothing grows. The same words are repeated over and over again. It's like having a bad case of déjà vu, which prompts the question: what is "now" if there is no time? Has time progressed at all or have we been stuck in an infinite loop?
Questions About Time
- Does time ever start or stop during Happy Days?
- If the sun is always shining, what is there to suggest that "another heavenly day" hasn't arrived and that Winnie is in fact outside of time?
- Winnie starts something, then stops and starts another. She lives a life of constant interruption. How does interruption affect the passing of time? Does it slow time down or speed it up?
Chew on This
Happy Days never ends. Winnie and Willie will be stuck in their moment forever.
The sun, throughout history, has been referred to as a timekeeper; so, the fact that night never arrives means that time is nonexistent.