Writing Conclusions

A conclusion provides a thoughtful end to a piece of writing; unfortunately, many conclusions in college-level papers are little more than summaries of what has already been said. Why not "draw conclusions" when writing one?

Here are a few tips to make conclusions more interesting. You may wish to check with your professor about specific recommendations in your field of study; many fields have specific formats for conclusions and other parts of essays, research reports, and experiments. The points below are most applicable to papers in the humanities:

Ideas to Avoid

• Ending with a rephrased thesis statement that contains no substantive changes.

• Introducing a new idea or subtopic (although you may end with a provocative question; see below).

• Focusing on a minor point in the essay.

• Concluding with a sentence tacked on to your final point.

• Apologizing for your view by saying such things as "I may not be an expert" or "At least this is my opinion."

• Attempting to make up for an incomplete structure. (If you say you will discuss four books and only attempt a complete discussion of two books, do not try to cover the remaining texts in a concluding paragraph. In such a situation, it's best to limit your paper to topics you can realistically cover.)

Conclude an essay with one or more of the following

• Include a brief summary of the paper's main points.

• Indicate, if the field of study merits it, areas that need further study.

• Ask a provocative question.

• Use a quotation.

• Evoke a vivid image.

• Call for some sort of action.

• End with a warning.

• Universalize (compare to other situations).

• Suggest results or consequences.

• Try to refer to the introductory paragraph, either with key words or parallel concepts and images.

A Weak Conclusion

Lily Bart was unable to marry well in The House of Mirth, and her struggles to maintain a life of comfort and ease, combined with her poor decisions, led her lower and lower. Her death seems inevitable, as does Lawrence Selden's inability to admit that she is the one woman with whom he ever could be truly happy. Only when it is too late for Lily to hear him does he arrive to propose marriage, never getting to tell her what he should have said years earlier.

Commentary: While well written grammatically and stylistically, this conclusion merely repeats what our writer said earlier in the essay.  There are no "so what?" moments. Why does the novel matter, either as literature or as a document that might still influence our decisions and move us, emotionally?

A Stronger Conclusion

Lily's decline and death stem from her poor decisions financially and personally, in a world where one slip could mean being cast out of high society. That Lawrence Selden does not act earlier on what his heart knows only deepens this tragedy. This novel's fall from grace still resonates today; when celebrities and the very wealthy lose favor, they tend to fall forever. Media scrutiny of their faults works even stronger than in Lily's day, when society columns were genteel, often written to sugar-coat the misdeeds of the upper class. One might reimagine Wharton's Social-Darwinist tale as a collection of Tweets between her, her enemies, friends, and suitors, as Lily sinks lower and lower socially. Thus Wharton's world never really went away, though the clothes are different and the adulteries more open.

Commentary: This one was fun to write. While the first sentence does glance back at an introduction and thesis, the rest is full of "so what" moments.

I am not sure the revision would work for every professor, but it serves as the sort of conclusion I like from students, by discussing the relevance of the subject without digressing. If anyone decides to rewrite The House of Mirth as Tweets, I'd love to read that.