Conclusions

Main purpose for the conclusion is threefold:

1)RESTATE THESIS,

2) RESTATE MAIN POINTS, &

3) END WITH AN INSIGHT


Guiding Questions

  1. How have you sufficiently answered the question and defended your thesis? Many times people will start by restating the thesis statement in a new way.

  2. What are the major points you used to prove your thesis?

  3. What are the new questions and unresolved questions, which have arisen from analysis? What is the major insight into human nature?


Possibilities for Conclusions

  • Pose a related question

  • Provide a strong contrast

  • End with a quotation that illustrates the main point

  • Give a statement of the subject’s overall significance

  • Speculate about what the thesis implies for the future/world view

  • Return to the device used in the introduction (e.g. extended metaphor)

  • Sum up the author’s purpose/feelings

  • Refer back to an extended metaphor that you introduced in the introduction


Examples of Conclusions:

RESTATE THESIS, RESTATE MAIN POINTS, END WITH AN INSIGHT

#1

Gabriel García Márquez strongly associates an allegorical nature with his novella through heavy use of symbolism and motifs in order to convey the importance of honor killing and Catholicism in the work. Certain characters, such as Ángela Vicario and her companions, both epitomize and criticize the harsh and patriarchal nature of Latin America. By incorporating the motif of birds both in the beginning and the end of the novella attests to the tragic fate of Santiago and Ángela, as well as provides some hope for Ángela’s future, and symbolically, the future of all Latin American women. Márquez consistently paints Santiago as a Christ-like figure, which encapsulates both his innocence and the presence of Catholicism in Colombian society. He provides the reader with a sense of timelessness through his cyclical structure and fluid timeline, which attests to the transcending behavior of tragic cultural practices, such as honor killing, in Latin America.


#2

In conclusion, Chronicle of a Death Foretold was written not only as a thrilling novel of a cold-blooded murderer, but as a piece of social commentary that directly calls out issues in society, the church, and outdated traditions that are still held onto to this day. Márquez makes a point time and time again to force the topic of human apathy in the face of conflict, showing how even the most active and caring of souls can find themselves falling short of proper aid when it is needed. He shows us the paradox of the church, that a man of God can become so wrapped up in heaven that he forgets to aid his fellow man on earth. Lastly, he shows us the true danger of the tradition of honor killing, as well as it’s general acceptance within Latin American society. Through his literature, he has created a stark example of many of the problems the Latin community faces, and how these shortcomings can very easily result in a death foretold.

#3

Persepolis was not only a graphic memoir about Marjane Satrapi’s early life, but also about her struggles of defining herself. Her experience was a special one because of her questioning and response to the cultural conundrum she found herself in. Satrapi portrayed her dissonance of these two societies in such a way that engages the reader. Her word choice and tone add to the unique quality of the work, allowing the reader to relate strongly with the struggles that Marjane found herself in. Her experiences of her childhood and early adult life give the work an overarching theme; one of identity and the trouble one may undertake to find it.