1. The Conclusion Paragraph

2. Chapter 23 Quiz 1. What are the kids scared about?
2. What does Atticus think should be required for someone to be sentenced to death?
3. Who is the one person on the jury that kept them from convicting Tom right away?
4. What is Jem proud to show Scout on his body?
5. What does Jem decide about Boo Radley?
6. According to Atticus, what makes a white man trash?
7. Why does Aunt Alexandra not want Scout becoming better friends with Walter Cunningham?

3. The conclusion paragraph in an essay of literary analysis functions as follows:
It finishes off the essay and tells the reader where the writer has brought them.
It restates the thesis and contains echoes of the introduction and body paragraphs without listing the points covered in the essay.
It creates a broader implication of the ideas discussed and answers the questions: so what? Or why do we care?

4. Anatomy of the Conclusion:
The conclusion begins with a restatement of the thesis, not a repetition, and gradually widens toward a final , broad statement of implication.
Borrows from the body paragraphs, without being flatly repetitive or listing points already covered.
Creates echoes of the introduction and body paragraphs to reinforce analysis/ ideas.
Moves outward with a statement that relates the thesis to a broader implication so the reader can see the analytical focus in a larger perspective or application.

5. Strategies for Composing Conclusions:
Strike a note of hope or despair.
Give a symbolic or powerful detail/fact.
Create an analogy that relates your topic to a larger implication.
Give an especially compelling example.
Use a meaningful quotation. (If you used a meaningful quotation in your introduction, refer back to this quote and tie it in with your overall analysis.)

6. Recommend a course of action without being “preachy.”
Echo the language and approach of the introduction.
Reference and make meaning of the title of the work you are analyzing.

7. Consider the following checklist when writing a conclusion:
Avoid first-person point of view, abstract/vague language, poor diction, and slang.
Avoid simply repeating the thesis and/or listing the main points.
Don’t conclude more than you reasonably can from the evidence you have presented.
Echo the language and ideas from your introduction and body paragraphs.

8. Expand on the implications of your analysis: So what
Expand on the implications of your analysis: So what? Why do we care about these ideas? What’s so important about what you’ve developed in your paper? Are there any other applications for your ideas?
Avoid any attempts at humor, cuteness, or sarcasm.
The conclusion need not be longer than four to six sentences, as with the introduction, but must be adequately developed.
Include the title(s) and author(s) once more.

9. Sample Conclusions:
Evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of the sample conclusions to follow.
Identify possible references to the thesis statements, introduction, and body paragraphs.
Identify broader implications.
Identify and evaluate other strategies used.

10. Sample 1
In To Kill a Mockingbird, outcasts are present. Boo Radley is an example of an outcast. He is mysterious and violent. To Kill a Mockingbird is a southern gothic novel because it contains outcast characters.

11. Sample 2
The Southern Gothic genre exposed the darkness within Southern culture in a time of oppression and prejudice. To Kill a Mockingbird, specifically, exposes the close-minded nature of this culture, through outcast characters. With Boo, Scout, and even Dill, the reader sees the heartbreak and perseverance of characters deemed to be different. Through this novel, and the Southern Gothic genre, we can learn that outcasts can actually be the key to progress.