Jaws Ending Explained

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Jaws is a tense thriller, with a terrifying final act where Brody and a small crew come face to face with a killer great white shark. Jaws opens with a scene where a young woman goes into the ocean to swim, but she is soon pulled under the water and disappears. The following morning, police chief Martin Brody learns that the incident was a result of a shark attack, and he chooses to close the beach in order to do a further investigation and eliminate the threat.

What Happens In Jaws' Ending?

The Explosive Ending Of Jaws

After getting close to the great white on several occasions, and attaching large barrels to the shark in an effort to keep it close to the surface, the shark goes on the offensive. It manages to damage the hull of the boat, leaking water inside which further damages the engines. Brody, Hooper, and Quint then decide to go on the offensive and try to kill the shark by any means possible. However, Quint is killed in a tense struggle with the shark, before Brody manages to kill the shark. Brody and Hooper then swim towards Amity Island.

How Did Hooper Survive?

After Being Submerged In The Water And Attacked

One of the methods that the team employs to try and kill the shark is sending Hooper into the water in a shark cage. Hooper is armed with a potent chemical mixture and a large needle to inject the shark, but as he prepares to inject the shark, it swims up from behind and causes him to drop the instrument. Then, the shark ruthlessly smashes the cage, while Hooper desperately stabs and lashes out to try and avoid death. Hooper then swims to the seabed while the shark is distracted, tearing up the cage and hides until the action is over.

What Happened To The Boat?

Quint's Boat Is Utterly Destroyed

The boat wasn't in the best shape as it was clearly older. However, despite a major breach in the hull, it appeared that Brody and the crew would be able to sail home and return to deal with the shark later. Unfortunately, Quint pushed the engines too hard, and the overheating combined with the leaking hull resulted in the engines burning out. With the team sitting dead in the water, the shark attacked and destroyed the rear of the boat until it all began sinking into the water.

Did Hooper And Brody Make It Back To Amity Island?

Despite Brody Hating The Water And Having No Boat

With no further threat from the shark, it can be safely assumed that Brody and Hooper made it back to Amity Island. The shark was known to attack close to the beach, and so the boat was unlikely to be very far into the water. Hooper and Brody used a piece of the damaged ship to buoy themselves up, and they swam back to the island with nothing else to endanger their lives after the shark had been killed.

Did Quint Die After Being Attacked By The Shark?

It's Hard To Imagine Quint Survived The Attack

Quint was a skilled sailor and hunter, with experience fighting wild sealife during World War II. However, he was overwhelmed by the great white in Jaws when his ship was being dragged under the water. Quint is shown to be bitten right along his legs and torso, before being dragged underwater. It is very unlikely he survived beyond this point, as the loss of blood, extensive injuries, or drowning may have all caused his death. However, once the shark was blown up by Brody, it's certain that Quint was no more.

Is The Shark Gone For Good At The End Of Jaws?

The Shark Didn't Survive Jaws' Ending

The shark eats one of the canisters filled with pressurized air, which Brody then shoots in order to cause an explosion. At this proximity, with an intense explosion happening directly in the shark's mouth, the entire upper half of the creature was likely vaporized. As a result, the shark would be completely dead, with no chance of survival by the end of Jaws.

Why Was Mayor Vaughn So Determined To Keep The Beach Open?

Despite So Many People Being In Danger

Mayor Vaughn was more focused on keeping those who owned businesses and tourists happy and spending money than keeping the community safe. He also failed to grasp the significance of the threat of a killer shark swimming around Amity Island in Jaws. However, when the shark attacked while Vaughn's kids were on the beach, he reconsidered his position. He still wanted the beach to be open for the busy summer season, but he agreed to have the shark problem taken care of and signed off on spending the necessary funds.

Did Jaws Set Up A Sequel?

Jaws Didn't Start A Franchise On Purpose

Jaws was based on a novel by Peter Benchley and directed by Steven Spielberg. The film came out in 1975, and has since had three sequels, although neither Spielberg nor Benchley were involved in any capacity. With this in mind, it doesn't appear that they intentionally set up any sequels, but characters like Brody were interesting enough to continue a narrative. Future films revolve around Brody and his family.

A blended image of three iconic scenes from Jaws - created by Tom Russell

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The Shark Has A Deeper Meaning In Jaws

The core theme of the film sees the shark as a stand in for fear. It is relentless, lurking beneath the surface, and can overwhelm the person experiencing it. Rather than having a human villain who has the potential to connect with audiences and gain sympathy, the shark is supposed to be a form of pure evil and fear that embodies these feelings for viewers.

The Real Meaning Of Jaws' Ending

There Was A Hidden Message In Jaws

While fear may be relentless, and it can cause considerable damage, it can be overcome when faced head on. Characters like Vaughn chose to ignore their fear and focus on other things, but this only put more people in danger. It wasn't until Hooper, who has a thorough understanding of sharks, Quint, who has the required bravery and strength, and Brody, who has unrelenting hope, joined their efforts together to face the shark and kill it. It left plenty of damage and scars at the end of Jaws, but once understood and faced, the fear could be overcome.

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