Literature essays are made to analyze and evaluate literary works or certain aspects in a literature. You may be asked to write a literature essay as an assignment for a language class or an assignment for a literature course. After working hard on it, you may be almost done with your essay, but have a hard time writing the conclusion. A good conclusion must be able to strengthen the thesis statement as well as expand the essay study briefly in four to six sentences. You also have to create an effective closing sentence so that your essay ends with a good impression in the eyes of the reader.
Step
Method 1 of 3: Reinforce Thesis Statement
Step 1. Repeat your thesis statement in a different way
Do not repeat the thesis statement with the same sentence as written in the opening. However, rewrite the thesis statement so that it looks different in the conclusion section. This will show that you are using your thesis statement as the basis for your essay and feel confident enough to change your writing. Change the language style and word choice of the thesis statement at the beginning of the essay.
- For example, a thesis statement at the beginning of an essay might be written like this: "Although there are many elements of tragedy in Andera Hirata's novel 'Padang Bulan', the structure, theme, and setting used mostly fall into the comedy genre."
- You can rewrite the thesis statement by changing the style of the original thesis statement and using more specific word choices. For example, a rewritten thesis statement could read "despite the tragic elements in Andera Hirata's novel 'Padang Bulan', the structure, theme, and overall setting of the story still fits well within the comedy genre."
Step 2. Make a revision of your thesis statement
As another option, you can also revise your thesis statement to make it more clear and in-depth. Reread the opening paragraph of the essay and read carefully your thesis statement. After that, make sure the content of the paragraph matches the statement. Consider whether your thesis statement is still relevant to the essay, or can be revised. Make adjustments so that the thesis statement reflects the content of the essay more thoroughly.
- For example, your original thesis statement might read "although there are many elements of tragedy in Andera Hirata's novel 'Padang Bulan', the structure, theme, and setting used mostly fall into the comedy genre."
- You may be able to revise it to better fit the overall content of the essay; "Apart from the tragic events in Andrea Hirata's novel 'Padang Bulan', the writing of the paragraph structure, themes around love and the struggle of life, and the unique characters in it make this novel still worthy of being included in the comedy genre."
- Major revisions to the essay thesis statement should only be made to adapt the statement to the full content of the essay. Make sure the initial thesis statement that you use still complements or represents the revised thesis statement in the conclusion section.
Step 3. Write a thesis statement at the beginning of the conclusion
Writing the conclusion section must start from a thesis statement that has been rewritten or revised. This will clarify the direction of the conclusion and show that it is related to the content of the essay. After that, you can use the rewritten thesis statement as the basis for writing a concluding paragraph.
You don't need to write the phrases “in conclusion”, “in conclusion”, or “To conclude the above” before writing the thesis statement in the conclusion section. These phrases can make your writing feel too formal or stilted. However, create a new paragraph and insert the rewritten thesis statement at the beginning of the paragraph to make a conclusion
Method 2 of 3: Writing the Middle Part of the Conclusion
Step 1. Use the same language and diction as the opening paragraph
The middle section of the essay conclusion usually consists of three to five sentences. The sentence should extend the essay study with language and diction similar to the opening paragraph. Read the opening section of the essay again to identify the style and diction. Take a phrase or term that you like from the passage and rewrite it in the conclusion paragraph. This will allow the conclusion paragraph to blend into the rest of your essay.
- For example, you could write down the impact of the setting on the novel's genre in the opening paragraph. After that, you can rewrite the sentence and include it in the conclusion section.
- If you notice a change in the main idea in the body after rereading the opening, you may need to revise the opening paragraph and use the results to make a middle conclusion.
Step 2. Use the same theme and explanation throughout the essay
You can also use the themes and explanations used at the beginning of the essay to draw conclusions. There may be a theme from a particular section or a specific description of one of the chapters of the novel that you covered in the essay and would like to include in the conclusion. There may be a specific theme that appears in the body of the essay that you want to re-emphasize in the conclusion.
For example, maybe your essay focuses on the theme of the struggle for life in Andera Hirata's novel Padang Bulan. You can emphasize this theme by including a passage in the novel that describes this aspect
Step 3. Use relevant quotes from literacy texts
Including relevant quotes from literacy texts in the conclusion section can make your writing stronger and more effective. There may be quotes that you like, but don't quite fit into the body of the paragraph. There may also be quotes that can summarize the full content of your essay. Use citations to support your thesis statement and claims in the essay.
For example, if your essay focuses on the theme of the struggle for life in the novel Padang Bulan, you can include text quotes that illustrate that theme
Step 4. Give reasons why readers need to read your essay
Think about why the reader should care about the content of your essay and why the focus of the essay is so important. Giving urgency to the reader can give you an idea for completing the essay by creating a concluding paragraph.
For example, if you are writing an essay based on the book “Laskar Pelangi” by Andera Hirata, you can create urgency for the reader by relating the content of the novel to the issue of inequality in the quality of education in Indonesia. You can write your opinion in the conclusion of the essay
Step 5. Summarize your essay
As part of the conclusion, you can also summarize the essay in one solid sentence. Do not mention the contents of the essay in detail or mention things that have been discussed previously. This will make your writing look drab. Instead, focus on the key issues in the essay and relate them to your thesis statement. This way, you can prove that the points in the essay are relevant to the topic at hand.
For example, you could summarize your essay by writing "Based on the analysis of the scenes between the characters in the novel 'Laskar Pelangi', it is clear that Andera Hirata is trying to raise the issue of education inequality in Indonesia directly."
Step 6. Do not enter new information
Do not include new information or views in your conclusions. This will only confuse the reader and make the essay feel unbalanced. The conclusion should address the things already listed in the essay, not introduce new ideas.
Method 3 of 3: Ending the Conclusion
Step 1. Finish the conclusion by writing a strong description or detail from the text you used
Writing a good closing sentence is sometimes very difficult. As an option, you can use strong depictions or details in the literacy text that appeals to the reader. These descriptions or details should be relevant to the focus of the essay and at the same time strengthen your thesis statement.
For example, if the focus of your essay is on the theme of life's struggles, you could write a section of the novel that discusses the main character's struggles to survive
Step 2. Finish the conclusion with a simple and clear sentence
Write a clear, easy-to-read closing sentence. The final sentence is short, clear, and concise will leave a good impression in the eyes of the reader.
Reread your last sentence and eliminate unnecessary or confusing words. Simplify the last sentence of the conclusion to make it appear concise and clear
Step 3. Connect your essay to the wider context
Another way to finish writing a conclusion is to relate your essay to a broader issue or contemporary context. Look for ways to relate the theme or idea in the essay to a broader issue or contemporary issue in the media. This is a great way to make an essay seem relevant to the current situation.
- For example, you could relate an essay about the novel “Laskar Pelangi” by Andrea Hirata to modern issues around educational disparities between regions in Indonesia.
- Don't make sensational statements in the closing paragraph to convey your opinion. Linking the essay to a larger context is fine. However, linking it to things that are not clear, such as "the number of poverty in the world" or "the difference in the minimum wage between regions" will only confuse the reader and weaken the conclusion of the essay.
Step 4. Edit the conclusion section before submitting the essay
When you've finished drawing your conclusions, reread your writing for misspellings, grammatical errors, or punctuation errors. Read the conclusion paragraph aloud to make sure it sounds neat and “flowing.” You can even have someone else check it out if you have time to make sure the thesis statement and the closing sentence have a strong connection. Make sure the writing style and language used in the conclusion exactly matches the writing style and language you use throughout the essay.
