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GCSE English Literature · key term
An apparent resolution that makes the audience think the conflict is over before a further event overturns it.
Used by AQA, Edexcel, OCR and Eduqas
Paper 2
Revise: Act 3Birling, Mrs Birling and Gerald relax, drink and treat the evening as a hoax. This is the false ending: the apparent threat has disappeared, and the family seems able to return to its earlier comfort.
Paper 1
A dramatic arrangement in which events appear resolved before a later development overturns that resolution.
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Birling and Gerald resume drinking, Mrs Birling praises Gerald’s reasoning, and Gerald offers Sheila her engagement ring. These actions attempt to restore the comfortable celebration with which the play began. This is a false ending: the crisis appears resolved, but the underlying moral conflict remains.
Paper 1
An apparent resolution that makes a story seem finished before a further event overturns it.
Revise: Act 3The apparent return to celebration creates a false ending: the family seems able to resume its old life.
Component 2
An apparent resolution which is overturned by a later event, forcing the audience to reconsider what seemed settled.
