Lord of the Flies

The ending of lord of the flies uses a technique called what?

IT is awesome.

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Do you have choices? The ending provides the resolution and the main character is saved at the last minute, yet he has forever lost his innocence and will not be the same when he returns home. All of the boys have gone through their growing up and will now see the world of England as an entirely different place.

Golding's ending utilizes the literary technique called "Deus ex Machina" or "God in the Machine." It means an unexpected power or event saving a seemingly hopeless situation. In Ancient Greek theatre, the device was utilized by literally lowering a divine-like force from the rafters in a contraption to stop the action. Now the sailor may not have come from the heavens but he certainly abruptly ends Golding's little social experiment. The boys get saved, but really is it of any consequence? The sailor merely ends the book. The damage has been done and with the death of both Simon and Piggy, the boys are already damned.