Conclusion
The conclusion is your final space to SYNTHESIZE (bring together) your findings and advance your argument toward a final insight. This is your opportunity to:
• deftly allude to your thesis statement
• give the essay a sense of completeness
• reflect on why your argument is significant — in other words, answer the big "so, what?" question
A conclusion should NOT ...
Begin with "In conclusion"
Simply summarize the essay
Introduce new information
Cite new quotes and concrete detail
Repeat the thesis by using the same words
A conclusion SHOULD ...
Synthesize, not summarize (two to three sentences maximum)
Show your reader how the points you made and the support and examples you used were not random, but fit together.
Redirect your readers
Give your reader something to think about, perhaps a way to use your paper in the "real" world. If your introduction went from general to specific, make your conclusion go from specific to general. Think globally.
Create final insight
You don't have to give new information to create final insight. By demonstrating how your ideas work together, you can create a new picture. Often the sum of the paper is worth more than its parts.
Echo the introduction
Echoing your introduction can be a good strategy if it is meant to bring the reader full-circle. Return to your initial hook-- and apply it beyond the text.
Answer the question "so what?"
Show your readers why this paper was important and meaningful. Reflecting on the implications of the big ideas and themes that have emerged from this paper is your best bet.
Example:
Read the introduction for context first. Then, review the conclusion paragraph, noting how the author ties their initial ideas together and advances toward a greater insight.
Introduction:
Plato once said, "Knowledge becomes evil if the aim be not virtuous." In William Golding's allegory, Lord of the Flies, this philosophy is made painfully clear. Knowledge is a powerful tool, however, because of the inherent darkness in mankind, the tool may not always be used for the better good. Using symbolism and imagery, Golding clearly expresses how knowledge, used for personal gain, becomes an evil force that causes society to collapse.
Conclusion:
As Plato explained and Golding clearly proved in his novel, knowledge divorced from virtue is a dangerous force. Golding witnessed the effects of irresponsible use of technology, or knowledge, during World War II, and perhaps never fully recovered from his horror. The knowledge he attained during World War II served as a basis for his allegory. Golding thus wrote Lord of the Flies, filled it with powerful imagery of war, blood, and terror, then bolstered it with symbolism of fire, in order to display the dangerous result of knowledge used for personal gain. Perhaps Golding shared his tragic knowledge to save humanity, and warn all to beware of the inherent darkness in a man’s heart.