Spoiler warning: this post explains the full ending of Waiting for the Barbarians. If you have not finished the book, stop here and come back later.
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Quick answer: Colonel Joll's army marches out to crush the “barbarians” but returns broken and defeated, and the officials flee the frontier town. The Magistrate, who was tortured for opposing them, takes charge again but has no answers, and the novel ends with him watching children build a snowman in the empty square.
Quick facts
– Book: Waiting for the Barbarians by J.M. Coetzee
– First published: 1980
– Type: A literary allegorical novel
– Tone of the ending: Bleak and uncertain
Table of Contents
What Leads Up to the Ending
The Magistrate runs a quiet frontier settlement of an unnamed Empire. Colonel Joll of the Third Bureau arrives to interrogate supposed barbarians, using torture. The Magistrate takes in a young barbarian woman who was blinded and crippled, and later returns her to her people. For this, he is arrested, humiliated and tortured as a traitor.
What Happens at the End of Waiting for the Barbarians
The Empire's soldiers go out to fight but never find a real enemy, and the barbarians lure them into the desert, where many die. Joll returns in a carriage, frightened, and leaves. The remaining soldiers loot the town and depart. The Magistrate, freed, helps the townspeople prepare for winter. He tries to write a history of the settlement but cannot. In the final scene, he sees children making a snowman and feels he is walking down a road that leads nowhere.
The Ending in 4 Quick Points
- The “barbarian threat” was largely invented by the Empire.
- The Empire's army collapses without a battle.
- The Magistrate survives but cannot understand his role.
- The snowman scene is quiet and ambiguous.
What Happens to the Main Characters
| Character | What happens to them |
|---|---|
| The Magistrate | Survives and stays in the town |
| Colonel Joll | Flees in defeat |
| The barbarian girl | Returned to her people |
| Mandel | Joll's officer, who leaves with the army |
What the Ending Means
The ending exposes how empires create enemies to justify violence. Without the threat, the Empire falls apart.
Other Ways to Read the Ending
Some readers see the Magistrate as a hero, while others see him as complicit and unable to change. The novel is often read as a comment on apartheid South Africa.
Themes the Ending Brings Together
Empire. The novel critiques colonial power.
Guilt. The Magistrate struggles with his part in the system.
Fear. The Empire's fear creates its enemy.
Is the Ending Happy or Sad?
Most readers describe the ending of Waiting for the Barbarians as bleak and uncertain. How you feel about it usually depends on what you hoped for the characters and what you expected J.M. Coetzee to do with the story, so it is worth asking friends how they felt before you compare notes.
Who Will Like This Ending
Readers who enjoy endings that are bleak and uncertain will find a lot to talk about here. If you prefer every thread tied up neatly, it helps to know in advance how J.M. Coetzee closes the story, which is exactly why many readers look it up. Either way, the final chapters reward a second look once you know where everything is heading, because small details from the middle of the book start to matter. If you are reading with a group, agree beforehand whether everyone has finished, so nobody has the last chapters spoiled.
Book Versus Adaptation
The 2019 film with Mark Rylance and Johnny Depp follows the novel's ending closely.
Discussion Questions About the Ending
If you are reading Waiting for the Barbarians with a book club or a friend, these questions work well once everyone has finished:
- Did the ending surprise you, or had you seen it coming from the first chapters?
- What does the final scene say about empire, and do you agree with J.M. Coetzee's view?
- Which character made the most important choice in the last part of the book, and was it the right one?
- How would the story feel if it had ended one chapter earlier or one chapter later?
- Does the ending leave you hopeful about the characters, or do you worry about what comes next?
- Would you describe the ending as bleak and uncertain, or would you choose a different word?
How to Read the Final Chapters Again
- Compare the opening with the close. Look at how the first chapter introduces empire and how the ending answers it.
- Track each final choice. The table above shows where every main character ends up, so ask which of those outcomes was earned.
- Notice what J.M. Coetzee leaves unsaid. Gaps in the last pages are often deliberate, and they are where most of the debate about the ending begins.
- Listen for echoes. Images, phrases or settings from earlier in Waiting for the Barbarians often return in the final scene with a new meaning.
Questions to Ask Yourself After Finishing
- Was the ending of Waiting for the Barbarians earned by what came before it, or did it feel sudden?
- Which character's final moment affected you most, and why?
- If you could change one thing about the last chapters, what would it be?
- Did the ending change how you think about the opening pages?
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Books to Read After Waiting for the Barbarians
- Disgrace by J.M. Coetzee
- Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad
Related: Waiting for the Barbarians by J. M. Coetzee: Summary and Key Takeaways · Disgrace by J. M. Coetzee: Summary and Key Takeaways
Frequently Asked Questions
What happens at the end of Waiting for the Barbarians?
Colonel Joll's army marches out to crush the “barbarians” but returns broken and defeated, and the officials flee the frontier town. The Magistrate, who was tortured for opposing them, takes charge again but has no answers, and the novel ends with him watching children build a snowman in the empty square.
Is the ending of Waiting for the Barbarians happy or sad?
Most readers call it bleak and uncertain.
What does the ending of Waiting for the Barbarians mean?
The ending exposes how empires create enemies to justify violence.
Is the ending of Waiting for the Barbarians the same in the adaptation?
The 2019 film with Mark Rylance and Johnny Depp follows the novel's ending closely.
Who wrote Waiting for the Barbarians and when was it published?
Waiting for the Barbarians was written by J.M. Coetzee and first published in 1980.
Is Waiting for the Barbarians worth reading if I already know the ending?
Yes, especially if you enjoy literary allegorical novels. Knowing the ending can make a first read richer, because you notice how J.M. Coetzee prepares for it from the opening chapters.
Should I read Waiting for the Barbarians before reading the ending explained?
Yes, if you plan to read it, because this post gives away the whole ending.