literature essay conclusion example

literature essay conclusion example

Crafting a Convincing Conclusion for Your Literature Essay

1. Introduction to the Importance of a Strong Conclusion

The conclusion is, of course, meant to do just what its name suggests: conclude the essay. It means well to the last word, wraps everything up, and puts the finishing touches on the essay. A conclusion, in short, should actually conclude. This suggests that the final paragraph is particularly important and that it must do more than just leave the essay blandly standing there before the reader. Most students interpret what needs to be done with the conclusion in one of two separate ways. The first is the most puerile, that the conclusion should restate, more or less word for word, the entire content of the argument. The second, quite opposite interpretation, generally comes from students who recognize intellectually the elementary point that it is just as stupid to include everything in the conclusion as it is to forget about it altogether.

A conclusion is the summation of the whole essay, and writers must consider important elements to write a thoughtful and effective conclusion. A strong conclusion clearly summarizes all previous discussion points and concludes thoughts, comments, and reflections. Future actions and possible outcomes must also be stated for it to be convincing. A conclusion should answer the following questions: What have writers argued? Why is it important for readers to consider and discuss this topic? And what can writers do next? This article describes helpful and effective strategies for writing a convincing conclusion.

2. Strategies for Summarizing Key Points and Themes

Writing through the eyes of most individuals is considered difficult. After all, college literature students spend a great deal of time reading poetry, novels, and short stories. In fact, from the point of view of the student, writing a literature essay can seem a very interesting assignment, as it not only may have a great impact on his perception of the novel or poem but generally requires keen observation and analytic ability. As we all know and understand at some level, writing a literature essay is easier said than done. On the using point of view, the conclusion is one of the most difficult sections to develop. Most students and teachers alike all have the view that the conclusion should restate the thesis statement and remind the reader about the paper’s main ideas in order to satisfy the reader’s craving for closure. However, it is this very concentration on the main points that leads most students astray.

A literature essay requires the writer to do the following things before writing the conclusion: 1) restating the thesis statement or concept or idea, 2) summarizing key points and themes, and 3) evaluate the importance of the content. The conclusion for the literature essay must encourage the reader to share the views of the writer. To do this, it is necessary to deal with specific elements of the assignment and the chosen material. The comments should represent well the relationship between the chosen theme and the material covered in the body. The conclusion in the literature essay should be structured in such a way that it further defines the meaning of the title and gives the reader an understanding of what must be learned.

3. Emphasizing the Significance of Your Argument

A good conclusion is a short one. Bibliographies are certainly out of place, and a very long exemplification is both suspect and unnecessary, unless it is the only way of convincing judges who are logically faulty. Your duty is to cover your argument adequately and move the reader to remind himself of his high opinion by rereading the entire work to see whether he has perhaps overlooked something important or other. This is just what you must make your reader wish to do at the end. The end should be modicum and tractabulum, although you should have everything in it, so that it may be plannable and in every way satisfying, ad captandum.

It is, indeed, necessary that a respect for the importance of your subject and theme should penetrate every part of your essay, and that you should seek to promulgate a feeling of conviction that will stimulate your readers to take the matter seriously and to weigh everything that you say. But it is most especially at the conclusion that this conviction should be apparent. No one likes in so many words to be told that something he has taken a lot of trouble about is really important but, on the contrary, everyone, if at all ill-disposed, likes to have his opinion dismissed. Consequently, you should carefully avoid anything that could be mistaken for peroratio or a concluding moral. Embrace your argument fully. If only one good thing comes of developing respect for your text and the argument, it will at least render much thought unnecessary and will strew flowers on the poet’s path.

4. Reflecting on the Broader Implications and Future Directions

Restate your thesis in a more complex or qualified way based on your supporting points. This doesn’t necessarily mean using different words. It may mean digging deeper and trying to ferret out something of significance in what you have already said. What are the implications of the story for real life or the world around the writer? The conclusion brings the work to an end but also creates a lasting effect that connects the reader to their world again. Always remember, the reader is interested in what the writer has to add to their world and deserves the respect of assuming they are also intelligent. The main character, the real voice of the paper, is assumed to have intelligence and read between the lines of what is being said. This is what separates the professional writer from the amateur and what brings the paper and the reader to life.

Your conclusion should make your readers glad they read your paper. Your conclusion gives your reader something to take away that will help them see things differently or appreciate your topic in personally relevant ways. You might speculate about broader implications of your topic, describe how your findings changed your thinking on the topic, offer some creative ideas to increase reader interest in additional research, or suggest promising directions for future study or new questions that your findings imply are worthy of further investigation.

5. Final Tips for Leaving a Lasting Impression

Every final paragraph should be able to serve one very basic purpose: to persuade the examiner you are knowledgeable about the question and that you are worthy of being awarded a high grade. Therefore, you should make sure to choose the right ‘voice’. Many young authors are tempted to finish off their essay with a self-important grandstand; on the other hand, older authors worry about overselling themselves. In any case, they end up using the same tired old expressions over and over again. It’s amazing how many times examiners read: ‘In conclusion…’, ‘I hope you have enjoyed reading my essay,’ or ‘I have shown you so and so.’ Try to avoid these overused phrases. Not only are they a sign of unimaginative writing but they are also a bore to read. The best conclusions are also the most original. Your aim is to leave your precious reader with a lasting impression while almost whispering, ‘By the way, I’ve got a good serious brain on my shoulders.’ Every examiner knows that there will be some variation of the essay they just read on disc four of the stack of examinations waiting for their full attention in a cool lucky compare your conclusion with the introductions of other essays and plan yours in that spirit.

In many tales, the final monologue or conversation with other characters is an essential part of the plot. Even though you may not have spent as much time working on your ‘ending’ as your opening, don’t underestimate the importance of a great conclusion. By giving your final notes, I hope to persuade you that with enough planning and research, the innocent conclusion can give your presentation a sense of unity and will leave an impression of your commitment and enthusiasm for a well-written, well-researched essay.