[2] It is viewed as a classical expression of the English tradition of horror fiction, as it elicits a well-founded and increasingly intense sense of impending doom without inserting any scenes of physical violence.
As the climactic hide-and-seek game begins, the adults present turn out the lights, and the children designated to hide, including Peter and Francis, are required to scatter.
As light floods into the niche where the brothers have hidden themselves, the narrator reports that Francis Morton has lain sprawled and still since the terrified child was startled beyond endurance by the touch of a human hand in the dark.
Greene published "The End of the Party" near the start of a writing career that would extend over more than six decades; this short story helped to develop his reputation as a significant force in English letters.
The favorable response to his story may be connected to ongoing concerns in Britain due to the significant headcount of World War I veterans afflicted with "shell shock".