Deus ex machina, according to the Encarta dictionary, is a noun that means:
| 1. unconvincing character who resolves plot: an improbable character or unconvincing event used to resolve a plot |
| 2. god who resolves plot: in ancient Greek and Roman theater, a god introduced to resolve a complicated plot |
As writers, we must try to come up with believable endings for our stories. That doesn’t mean we can’t have something extraordinary happen. What we must avoid doing is bringing in someone or something that wasn’t previously involved with the story simply to fix whatever problem the characters face.
During the climax, if our characters are not able to solve their own problems it’s tempting to resort to a supernatural event or outside interference to save them. That’s fine if it fits with other events, has been foreshadowed, or can be explained within the context of the story. If it’s a clumsy, contrived intervention, the readers may feel like we’ve cheated—and that makes it a “deus ex machina.”
The falling action after the climax leads to the resolution (denouement) of the conflict, and if the reasons for what happened seem believable, readers will accept the ending even if they don’t like it.
Do you feel cheated when the ending of a story uses a deus ex machina? Can you think of stories or situations where using one might work effectively?
Interesting topic. I think stories that play with the idea of determinism or lack of free will might be able to pull this off… but then, the deus ex machina in that case isn’t really a deus ex machina in the modern sense of the phrase because it has been properly set up.
Resolutions are very tough to do well. (I write that as a reader; as a writer, I haven’t yet gotten to the end of my first novel. I’m expecting the endgame to be just as challenging as the rest of the process!)
One of the reasons I find resolutions so troubling is because, as humans, we don’t live narrative lives. We create narrative. We don’t know the resolution to our own story until we’re dead! And though we can think about scenes or chapters in our lives and think about the smaller resolutions (maybe the resolution of a relationship or a crisis), we’ll never actually know the full impact of that experience until the end. (And maybe even then we won’t be able to see the ripple effects of those experiences.)
As writers, we play god and have to have some inkling of how a resolution impacts not only the main character but the supporting characters and the world we’ve created. That’s not to say that we should include all of that info in our resolutions, but being able to see the larger impact of our MC’s decisions and actions leads, I think, to a more meaningful resolution. Then again, sometimes ambiguous resolutions are the best because they mirror the ambiguity of life.
Apparently, I’m having trouble bring this comment to resolution… ;-D
Christina, I like your statement that we are creating narrative through our actions. I’ve heard the expression “the book of life” before, but never actually envisioned it being written as we go through each scene and chapter in our lives.
In my novel, the end was written before the middle. I needed to know where I was going with the story, then I could create scenes that helped me get there. Without knowing the ending, I tend to ramble aimlessly.
Carol
“The falling action after the climax leads to the resolution (denouement) of the conflict, and if the reasons for what happened seem believable, readers will accept the ending even if they don’t like it.”
An excellent example of this is Jodi Picoult’s “My Sister’s Keeper.” She did foreshadow the ending, so it was completely believable. Still, I don’t know anyone who liked the ending. They accepted the ending as powerful, but they didn’t like it. I think she did an excellent job.
~jon
Jon, I went out and bought that book because everyone (including you) recommended it. I correctly guessed why the girl refused to donate her kidney, but I never foresaw what happened later. As you said, it was powerful, but I would have liked it better if the author had given them a happy ending. I guess it was really just a no-win situation.
Carol
[…] Clues are interspersed throughout the story so readers feel involved in solving the mystery along with the protagonist. An occasional red herring to throw the detective—and readers—off track is fine, but the twists and turns of the plot must make sense when the outcome is revealed. Mysteries must be solved using logic rather than supernatural means or deus ex machina. […]
[…] 2. Deus Ex Machina. […]