Whew. That is a big question when it comes to True West. As straightforward as most of this play is, the end is not at all. While we've been given realistic sounds, sets, costumes, and dialogue, we get a somewhat symbolic or metaphorical image for the ending of the play:
(Pause, a single coyote heard in the distance, lights fade softly into moonlight, the figures of the brothers now appear to be caught in a vast desert-like landscape, they are very still but watchful for the next move, lights go slowly to black as the after-image of the brothers pulses in the dark, coyote fades.) (2.9.341-345).
So what does all this mean? Does it mean anything, or is it just a cool image Shepard felt like dropping on us at the end of the play? Well, even if it is a cool image, it still means something. In fact, it encapsulates two of the major themes of the play in one last visual. Let's break it down and see what we can find.
The Myth of the West
We've talked about the idealized and mythologized West—the West that really only exists on movie screens and in some people's minds. This is the West that is untamed. It's a place where man can live free and get in touch with his primal nature. We've also talked about the new West; the land of suburbs and Hollywood and normal everyday life.
With his final image, Shepard brings these two worlds together. The brothers, who have spent the entire time on stage within the confines of their mother's home, now "appear to be caught in a vast desert-like landscape." With this, the myth of the West has invaded the new West. The brothers are part of both of these worlds (please, no Little Mermaid jokes). However, with the last image, they seem to have crossed more into that untamed land than the land of gated communities and houseplants.
The Coyote Yaps at Midnight
Throughout the play, the sound of the coyotes has grown in volume, frenzy, and number. However, at the end, Shepard is clear to point out that there is only a single coyote. This is interesting, and it connects to Austin's transformation. By the end of the play, he has, for all intents and purposes, turned into Lee. Earlier, Austin says in disgust that Saul "thinks we're the same person" (2.7.28), and this last image actually proves Saul right. They are the same. They are both animals—the same animal.
That is a whole lot to get from one last stage picture. However, this is no ordinary final moment. Shepard makes it clear in his production notes that he wants the design of the show to remain realistic. He states clearly, "If a stylistic concept is grafted on the set design it will only serve to confuse the evolution of the characters' situation" (Shepard, Seven Plays 3). The evolution of the characters leads to this final moment of the play, and this distinct image stands out more and has a far greater impact, because nothing like it has been seen in the rest of the play.