4.10: Narrative Beginnings and Endings

Overview: Introductions & Conclusions

The introduction and conclusion of a narrative essay serve an important purpose: They provide a kind of framing for the body of the essay. That framing helps your audience better understand your writing. The introduction prepares your reader for the story that is to come in the body of your essay. The conclusion provides important reminders about key points from the body of your essay and offers you an opportunity to leave a lasting impression on your audience.

Introductions (How to Begin)

There is no doubt about it: the introduction is important for any kind of writing. Not only does a good introduction capture your reader’s attention and make them want to read on, but it also puts the topic of your essay into context for the reader.

But just because the introduction comes at the beginning, it doesn’t have to be written first. Many writers compose their introductions last, once they are sure of the main points of their essay and have had time to construct a thought-provoking beginning and a clear, cogent thesis statement.

Introduction Strategies

Although there is no one “right” way to write your introduction, some common introductory strategies work well. The strategies below are ones you should consider, especially when you are feeling stuck and having a hard time getting started.

Consider these strategies for capturing your readers’ attention and for fleshing out your introduction:

• Startling Statistic: Find a statistic that illustrates the seriousness of the event or theme you will address.
• Quote an Expert: Introduce an expert's opinion related to your topic.
• Common Misperception: Mention a common misperception that your narrative will challenge.
• Background Information: Provide background information necessary for understanding the story.
• Brief Narrative or Anecdote: Use a short story that exemplifies your reason for choosing the topic. In an assignment that encourages personal reflection, you may draw on your own experiences.

In fleshing out your introduction, you will want to avoid some common pitfalls:

• Don’t provide dictionary definitions, especially of words your audience already knows.
• Don’t repeat the assignment specifications using the professor’s wording.
• Don’t give details and in-depth explanations that really belong in your body paragraphs. You can usually postpone background material to the body of the essay.

Take a look at the sample introduction techniques below. As you read, think about your own topic for your narrative essay, and mentally note how you might adapt one of these strategies to fit your story.

Writing in Action: Narrative Engaging Beginnings/Leads

Good writers sweat their engaging beginnings. Leads give shape to the piece and to the experience of writing it. A strong engaging beginning sets the tone for the piece, determines the content and direction of the piece, and establishes the voice. Of equal importance, the engaging beginning captures the reader’s interest, inviting the reader to dive headfirst into the text. When you read, pay attention to how the writer engages you at the beginning of a story. When you write, experiment with multiple engaging beginnings. Deliberately craft different leads. During revision, choose the lead that you believe works best.

Typical/Unengaging (Avoid this!)

It was a day at the end of June. My mom, dad, brother, and I were at our camp on Rangeley Lake. We arrived the night before at 10:00, so it was dark when we got there and unpacked. We went straight to bed. The next morning, when I was eating breakfast, my dad started yelling for me from down at the dock at the top of his lungs. He said there was a car in the lake.

More Effective Strategies for Engaging the Reader:

Action: A Main Character Doing Something I gulped my milk, pushed away from the table, and bolted out of the kitchen, slamming the broken screen door behind me. I ran down to our dock as fast as my legs could carry me. My feet pounded on the old wood, hurrying me toward my dad’s voice. “Scott!” he bellowed again. “Coming, Dad!” I gasped. I couldn’t see him yet—just the sails of the boats that had already put out into the lake for the day.

Dialogue: A Character or Characters Speaking “Scott! Get down here on the double!” Dad bellowed. His voice sounded far away. “Dad?” I hollered. “Where are you?” I squinted through the screen door but couldn’t see him. “I’m down on the dock. MOVE IT. You’re not going to believe this,” he replied.

Reaction: A Character Thinking I couldn’t imagine why my father was hollering for me at 7:00 in the morning. I thought fast about what I might have done to get him so riled. Had he found out about the way I talked to my mother the night before, when we got to camp and she asked me to help unpack the car? Did he discover the fishing reel I broke last week? Before I could consider a third possibility, Dad’s voice shattered my thoughts. “Scott! Move it! You’re not going to believe this!”

Onomatopoeia: A Sound Associated with an Action Squish thunk, squish thunk, went our boots as we trudged down the back road of the ranch. There had been a storm the night before and as my brother, sister, and I went for a walk, we were enjoying the crisp spring air and the sunshine putting its warming hands on our backs. As we approached the corral, we noticed a mud puddle, a particularly marvelous mud puddle where the rain had mixed with water, mud, and cow dung that had been there before the storm. Little did I know that I was about to be involved in the mud fight of a lifetime.

Shocking Statement: Something Surprising or Out of the Ordinary They say Maniac Magee was born in a dump. They say his stomach was a cereal box and his heart a sofa spring. They say he kept an eight-inch cockroach on a leash and that rats stood guard over him while he slept. They say if you knew he was coming and you sprinkled salt on the ground and he ran over it, within two or three blocks, he would be as slow as everybody else. They say… (from Maniac Magee by Jerry Spinelli)

List: Complex Listing of Just about Anything Peggy was a kind woman, a quiet woman, a librarian who lived on Oak Street with her loyal dog, Ginger. They ate together. They walked together. They read books together. They watched television together. Their life was perfect.

Lively Description: Specific Details Paint a Vivid Picture Scarcely a breath of wind disturbed the stillness of the day, and the long rows of cabbages were bright green in the sunlight. Large white clouds drifted slowly across the deep blue sky. Now and then they obscured the sun and caused a chill on the backs of the prisoners who had to work all day long in the cabbage field. (from “The Prisoner Who Wore Glasses” by Bessie Head)

Question: Something to Start Readers Thinking What’s in a name? Nothing – and everything. It is after all, just a name, one tiny piece of the puzzle that makes up a person. However, when someone has a nickname like “Dumbo,” a name can be the major force in shaping one’s sense of self. That’s how it was for me.

Scenario: An Imaginary Situation You’ve been drifting at sea for days with no food and no water. You have two companions. Suddenly, a half-empty bottle of water floats by. You fight over the bottle, ready to kill the others if you must in order to obtain that water. What has happened? What are you—human or animal? It is a question that H.G. Wells raises over and over in The Island of Dr. Moreau. His answer? Like it or not, we’re both.

Quotation: Quote Someone Whose Words Encapsulate Your Theme There are several choices for using a quote to engage the reader. One way is to begin with the quote and then tie the quote into the opening:
“The greatest thing by far is to be a master of metaphor” ~ Aristotle
Aristotle and countless other masterful communicators have harnessed the power of metaphor to effectively persuade and inform. Metaphors allow you to make the complex simple and the controversial palatable. Conversely, metaphors allow you to create extraordinary meaning out of the seemingly mundane.

Another way is to embed the quote into your introduction:
Many of my high school friends are frustrated, and I understand that. I look around and see all kinds of problems in the world, and it doesn’t seem like anything will ever change. When I feel like that, I think about Nelson Mandela’s struggles, and I remember his claim that “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.” For me, the next few years will be my chance to get an education, because I am going to change the world.

Anecdote: A Short, Interesting Story Related to Topic I’d been getting into a lot of trouble—failing classes, taking things that didn’t belong to me. So the guidance counselor at school suggested that my parents take me to a psychiatrist. “You mean a shrink?” my mother replied, horrified. My father and I had the same reaction. After all, what good would it do to lie on a couch while some “doctor” asked questions and took notes? So I went to my first session angry and skeptical. But after a few weeks, I realized that we had it all wrong. Those shrinks really know what they’re doing. And mine helped me turn my life around.

To Sum Up: Introductions

Overall, your focus in an introduction should be on orienting your reader. Keep in mind journalism’s five Ws: who, what, when, where, why, and add in how. If you answer these questions about your topic in the introduction, then your reader is going to be with you.

Of course, these are just some examples of how you might get your introduction started, but there should be more to your introduction. Once you have your readers’ attention, you want to provide context for your topic and begin to transition to your thesis, and don’t forget to include that thesis (usually at or near the end of your introduction).

Conclusions (How to End)

A satisfying conclusion allows your reader to finish your paper with a clear understanding of the points you made and possibly even a new perspective on the topic.

The basic functions of a conclusion paragraph are to:

• Restate the main idea of the paper (why you wrote this entire long piece to begin with).
• Summarize all the key points you made throughout the body of the paper (things that proved your thesis statement).
• Write about why this paper and topic are important, and leave the reader with ideas for additional research or maybe some questions that didn't get answered. The idea is that you want to leave the reader with a long-lasting impression. This is your opportunity to really drive your point home and to use some really interesting language.

Just restating your thesis isn’t enough. Ideally, you have just taken your reader through a strong, clear argument in which you have provided evidence for your perspective. You want to conclude by pointing out the importance or worthiness of your topic and argument. You could describe how the world would be different, or people’s lives changed if they ascribed to your perspective, plan, or idea.

You might also point out the limitations of the present understanding of your topic, suggest or recommend future action, study, or research that needs to be done.

How to Write a Narrative Essay Conclusion:

Writing a conclusion to a narrative essay (story) follows a slightly different format:

1. Summarize the Main Events: Summarize the main events of your story, reminding the reader of the journey you shared. For example, "Looking back, I can't help but think about how my journey from a small, unknown town to the bustling city was filled with unexpected twists and turns."
2. Emphasize Personal Growth: Emphasize the personal growth you experienced as a result of the events in your story. Share the lessons you learned or the insights you gained. This allows the reader to understand the significance of your narrative. For instance, "Along the way, I discovered inner strength I never knew I possessed and learned that embracing change is essential for personal growth."
3. Connect to a Broader Theme: Connect your personal experience to a broader theme or message that resonates with a larger purpose or universal truth. Transition smoothly to this broader perspective, showing the relevance of your story beyond your own life. For example, "My journey taught me the transformative power of stepping outside one's comfort zone and embracing the unknown, a lesson that applies not only to my own life but to anyone seeking personal fulfillment and growth."
4. Leave a Lasting Impact: Pose thought-provoking questions that encourage the reader to reflect on their own lives and consider how the message of your story relates to their experiences. This allows the narrative to extend its influence beyond the page. For instance, "How many opportunities have we missed by staying within the confines of familiarity? And how might our lives change if we dare to take that first courageous step toward the unknown?"

Sample Narrative Conclusions:

Here are three sample conclusion paragraphs for personal narrative essays:

1. Staring out the cramped basement window at the sprawling elite campus before us, I never imagined I’d soon walk confidently across its immaculate lawns. Mopping floors each morning so my family could afford community college seemed worlds away from Ivy League towers. Yet driven by my immigrant parents’ sacrifices, I discovered the unbreakable connection between all who yearn to learn, regardless of privilege. My winding journey taught me barriers are only mental, not physical. Past this window lies not obstruction but opportunity - I need only reach out with courage to grasp it, as many grasp for the American Dream. Steeped in this vision, I boldly fling open the door and ascend into a future bound not by class, but the content of one's character.
2. Locked in tense negotiations, I suddenly realized that beyond contract details, real people’s safety was at risk without our environment deal. Glancing down the cold conference table manned by suited corporate veterans, I caught the CEO’s eye. In that pivotal moment of connection, I knew dollars could not eclipse humanity. Steeling my voice, I appealed to conscience and our shared hopes for clean air, framing sustainability as future-focused. I reclaimed narrative amid profit motives, uplifting meaning over margins and infusing business with community spirit. The CEO leaned back, a glimmer of awakening in his expression. With a tentative handshake, two worlds collided in understanding – proof one impassioned individual can redefine cultural realities. I had stood firmly for my beliefs, and they would uphold me still.
3. Pedaling the last mile uphill, lungs burning, I barely registered the sweeping mountain vista unfurling below, consumed with pushing my body to its absolute brink in this grueling race. Only cresting the peak, dirt coating clenched teeth, did the scene clarify before me – endless verdant valleys unfolding in awesome expanse, sky stretching to the horizon in vivid hues of orange and pink. Suddenly this solitary grind transformed into a shared triumph with the mountain itself, Connecticut’s rolling forests, even the distant hikers cheering below. Though I commanded my legs those final yards over the finish triumphantly alone, hands thrown heavenward, I now knew myself part of something greater – that testing one’s absolute limits taps into the spectrum of human potential itself, binding us in tired joy across time and terrain.