J.R.R. Tolkien called the sudden joyful turn that resolves a tragedy in a fairy-story a “eucatastrophe.”
Tolkien introduced the term in “On Fairy-Stories,” describing a sudden turn in a narrative that produces joy rather than simple despair. He formed the word from the Greek prefix eu-, meaning “good,” and catastrophe, meaning a decisive change or overturning of circumstances. For Tolkien, the best fairy-stories could offer consolation through this unexpected reversal.
Eucatastrophe does not mean that every character survives or that a story has no sorrow. Tolkien’s own examples often combine grief with hope. The destruction of the Ring, the rescue of Frodo and Sam, and the unexpected arrival of the Eagles are frequently discussed in connection with this idea, although the concept is broader than any single scene. It is also distinct from sub-creation, Tolkien’s term for the making of an imagined world.