Understanding Terminology That Describes Twentieth-Century Fiction - CLEP Humanities

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Question

A miraculous or unexpected intervention that quickly resolves a seemingly impossible plotline is called a __________.

Answer

"Deus ex machina," Latin for the god from the machine, is an ancient theater term that described a play's conclusion that found actual gods intervening from contraptions to quickly resolve a plot. The term is used more widely in literature and film in modern parlance to refer to a contrived ending to a plot that relies heavily on a miraculous or contrived intervention by some other figure than the main characters.

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