Happiness

The bulk of the novel focuses on Lucas’ evolving pursuit of happiness, allowing Backman to explore how happiness is derived from a simple life complete with introspection and how much our communities impact our happiness and sense of belonging.

The entire short story takes place within Lucas’ apartment and the other units in the building as they attempt to solve the problem of an ever-accumulating pile of stuff outside the premises. Before the issue began, Lucas loved being at home and spending as much time in his apartment as possible, avoiding the outside world. He feels certain that “He’s just happy. It wasn’t even particularly difficult. All he did was to remove the one thing that makes almost all people unhappy: other people” (5). Lucas exclusively eats takeout meals delivered by anonymous delivery drivers and only has the most minimal interactions with the other residents...