What term did J.R.R. Tolkien use for a sudden, joyous turn in a story?

J.R.R. Tolkien used the term eucatastrophe for a sudden, joyous turn in a story.

He explained the concept in his 1947 essay “On Fairy-Stories.” The word combines the Greek prefix eu-, meaning “good,” with catastrophe, which refers to the decisive turning point of a plot. Tolkien described eucatastrophe as the sudden shift from apparently unavoidable disaster to unexpected joy.

For Tolkien, the idea was more than a convenient plot device. He considered it the highest function of the fairy-story because it could produce a glimpse of joy beyond the ordinary course of events. He connected the concept with hope, while distinguishing it from a simple happy ending that has been predictable from the beginning.

The term is often associated with moments such as the destruction of the Ring and the unexpected rescue of Frodo’s quest. Tolkien also discussed a theological example in the Christian story of the Resurrection, which he called the “eucatastrophe” of human history.