1. Literary Analysis: Concluding Paragraphs
Del Norte High School
English Department

2. Purpose of a Concluding Paragraph
To offer a clear summary of the main arguments supported in the body paragraphs
Provide closure, often by looping back to attention getter
Emphasize the special importance of one main point
Answer any questions the reader may still have
To provide the final significant thought
The “So What?!” or “Ah Ha”
Purpose of a Concluding Paragraph

3. Clear Summary Review your thesis statement. Rewrite it.
Do not change the ideas
DO express them in new words and with a different sentence construction
Clear Summary

4. Loop Back to AG Review your AG
Take your argument full circle by reminding us how or why your attention getter relates to your argument.
Loop Back to AG

5. Reflection Think about the big idea behind your paper’s argument:
What is the real life connection?
What does the paper’s subject teach you about life?
How does the paper’s subject apply to you, to all people?
What is the theme? What is the moral of your argument?
Reflection

6. You May Consider Showing how the character has changed
Using a quotation from Of Mice and Men
Predicting how the theme might affect the character in the future
You May Consider

7. Example for Literary Analysis
All set goals, dreams, and hopes are ruined by fate, so the only resolution is to follow the cobblestone path already laid out. As a result, dreams fade away, hopes die, and goals dwindle to nothing. Steinbeck shows how George and Lennie, the victims of fate, give up on their dreams despite the amount of effort and planning put into trying to make them come true. Fate chose their path, taking away the companion and dreams George cherished. Tantalizing them, fate puts their dream a hair’s length away from reach and withdraws the moment the dream seems like it is within their grasp. Fate is always there waiting for its moment to pounce from the shadows when people hope and dream of what is never to be.
Example for Literary Analysis

8. Break it Down: Summarize Main Arguments/Reflection
All set goals, dreams, and hopes are ruined by fate, so the only resolution is to follow the cobblestone path already laid out. As a result, dreams fade away, hopes die, and goals dwindle to nothing. Steinbeck shows how George and Lennie, the victims of fate, give up on their dreams despite the amount of effort and planning put into trying to make them come true. Fate chose their path, taking away the companion and dreams George cherished.
Break it Down: Summarize Main Arguments/Reflection

9. Break it Down: Provide Closure/Loop Back to AG
Tantalizing them, fate puts their dream a hair’s length away from reach and withdraws the moment the dream seems like it is within their grasp.
Break it Down: Provide Closure/Loop Back to AG

10. Fate is always there waiting for its moment to pounce from the shadows when people hope and dream of what is never to be.
Break it Down: Ah-Ha

11. Put it Back Together Again
All set goals, dreams, and hopes are ruined by fate, so the only resolution is to follow the cobblestone path already laid out. As a result, dreams fade away, hopes die, and goals dwindle to nothing. Steinbeck shows how George and Lennie, the victims of fate, give up on their dreams despite the amount of effort and planning put into trying to make them come true. Fate chose their path, taking away the companion and dreams George cherished. Tantalizing them, fate puts their dream a hair’s length away from reach and withdraws the moment the dream seems like it is within their grasp. Fate is always there waiting for its moment to pounce from the shadows when people hope and dream of what is never to be.
Put it Back Together Again

12. Summarize your main arguments
You Try…

13. You Try…. Loop back to your AG.
Review your attention getter and offer more explanation regarding how its ideas relate to the subject of your essay.
You Try….

14. You try…. Reflect. How do your arguments relate to real life?
What have your arguments taught you about life in general?
What is the universal truth that readers of your essay can learn?
You try….

15. You Try Summarize main arguments presented that support message
Loop back to attention getter (this frames the essay)
Reflect– state the “AH HA” or “SO WHAT?”
You Try