by Cat Reynolds, Demand Media
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Write a conclusion that invites reader reflection.
Narrative essays often read like stories. As a result, conclusion
techniques such as a summary paragraph or paraphrasing the first paragraph will
probably fall short. The writer must strike the right emotional note, one that
evokes meaning and helps the reader to understand why the subject of your essay
matters to you, which is what really makes it worth reading. While other essays
teach us about issues and events, narrative essays illuminate the human
condition.
Step 1
Project
time forward to end a narrative essay. If the narrative took place ten years
ago, you might write the conclusion from the perspective of someone who
understands more now than you did then. Or you might write from the perspective
of someone who is as baffled as ever. If you take the perspective of one who
now understands, be careful not to write a paragraph that sounds as if you are
telling the reader what the moral of the story is. If possible, use sensory
impressions to connote meaning rather than explain meaning. "Today I live
in New York City. I didn't make time to visit my mother near the end of her
life, so she died lonely" explains. But this creates meaning without
explaining: "Today I live in New York City. I still remember my mother
frantically waving goodbye, both empty hands flailing the air, on the day I
left her for the last time."
Step 2
Lead
the reader into the conclusion with a final scene in real time as an
alternative to projecting time forward. Describe a specific physical action or
a final verbal exchange or a combination of those.
Step 3
Avoid
telling the reader how to feel. The conclusion of a narrative essay should
resonate, not dictate. If you think of a movie about a character who overcomes
adversity and emerges in triumph at the end of the narrative, you will notice
that nowhere does the screenplay writer or director tell the reader to feel
happy at the end. Instead the characters enact the end in a setting; we watch
them, and thus we are transported to happiness. The end of a narrative essay
can work in the same manner.
Step 4
Include
personal reflection in the conclusion, but avoid the temptation to explain
everything. It's not necessary to answer all the questions a reader might have.
Like fiction, a narrative essay may imply meaning rather than prescribe
solutions. It's a sturdy genre that can work from metaphor, symbol and lyric
language as well as describe and analyze.
References
- St. Cloud University Write Place: Narrative Essays
- Santa Barbara City College CLRC Writing Center: Structure of a Personal Narrative Essay
Resources
- George-Orwell.org; A Hanging; George Orwell; 1933
- This I Believe: A Public Dialogue about Belief -- One Essay at a Time
About the Author
Cat
Reynolds has written professionally since 1990. She has worked in academe
(teaching and administration), real estate and has owned a private tutoring
business. She is also a poet and recipient of the Discover/The Nation Award.
Her work can be found in literary publications and on various blogs. Reynolds
holds a Master of Arts in writing and literature from Purdue University.
Photo Credits
- Jupiterimages/Brand X Pictures/Getty Images
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