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How to Write a Conclusion for a Literary Criticism

by John Jeremy Dean, Demand Media

    A good conclusion gives your literary criticism a sense of closure without boring your reader with a rehash of things you have already written. By using the concluding strategies below, you can wrap up your literary analysis in a way that is meaningful for both you and your reader.

    Restate the Thesis

    It may seem redundant to restate the thesis -- or main argument of your analysis -- but it is actually important. The trick is to do it in such a way that you add a new layer of depth to it. Make your thesis restatement more of a final judgment of what you think about the matter. Make it emphatic.

    Summarize Main Points

    You should also go back and summarize the main points of the analysis. Just like with the thesis, you want to avoid redundancy. Rather than simply restating your points, you want to combine them to show how they work together to make your point. Show the big picture to your argument that is made of all the little parts you explained in the body of the paper.

    Explain the Importance

    When concluding you must inform your reader why your view on this work is relevant. They must be left with the feeling that your analysis is meaningful and important. You can do this by including a connection to the literary work's time period or modern life. You might explain what the thesis means to you personally and how it will inform your future choices.You have to give your analysis a meaning that is universal and useful to the reader.

    Give Your Reader a Mission

    Now that you have analyzed the literary text, you need to ask yourself if there is something your readers can do with what they have learned. Is there a logical action you can associate with your analysis? Is there a question they must ask themselves? Is there another line of reasoning they should explore? Once you figure out the action you need to illicit from your reader, express it in the conclusion.

    Identify Different Perspectives

    Because literary analysis is subjective, you may find yourself arguing a point that other analysts may not agree with. If this is the case, you might want to qualify your perspective in the conclusion by including a statement about other known opinions and why your argument disproves the other. This will show that you have done your background research and have an answer for the critics of your own work.

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