What happens in the denouement?

• A. Peak travels to Europe.
• B. Peak becomes a famous mountaineer.
• C. Peak loses contact with his family.
• D. Peak shows up in New York on time for the twins' birthday, reunites with his family, and sees his teacher.

Answer: (D)

Denouement is the moment in a story when the tension is resolved and the relationships and life situation of the characters settle into a new normal after the climactic events.

In this story, the ending shows Peak arriving in New York just in time for the twins’ birthday, reuniting with his family, and seeing his teacher. This sequence wraps up the emotional strands—the danger and secrecy of his climbs, the strain of being separated from family, and the guidance he’s received from his teacher—and brings Peak back to the people who matter to him. The birthday moment provides a concrete, hopeful sense of closure, showing that the main conflicts have reached their resolution and that Peak can move forward with support from his family and mentor. The other possibilities would push the plot into further adventures or ongoing separation, which wouldn’t deliver the same sense of final closure that the denouement aims for.