"Once Upon a Time" by Nadine Gordimer - Happily Ever After?

"Next day a gang of workmen came and stretched the razor-bladed coils all round the walls of the house where the husband and wife and little boy and pet dog and cat were living happilty ever after." Do they really live happily ever after? Of course the tragedy at the end says no. But, I want to focus more on their whole life in general. How can one enjoy life by staring at walls? No matter the danger, without beauty, life misses much. Not being able to feel free is their own decision, yet they go so far in tormenting themselves. How can they live happily by shutting themselves in. I would rather live with those outside the suburbs. What happened was coming to them. They were not living happily ever after since they were so worried and preoccupied about their safety.