Comparative Conclusions

Conclusions for the comparative essay should include the following:

1. Restate your thesis (ideally in a new and interesting way).
2. Summarize your main points.
3. Answer the so what question. Why does this subject matter? This last part is tricky in a
comparison essay and could be done in a couple of different ways
a. The more challenging approach - A short discussion of the differences between film and
literature in terms of what the audience expects. This would need to relate to the
changes you discussed in your paper.
b. This would be the more traditional approach. If you wrote about hope in the film, why
does that topic matter today? Why does it resonate with audiences

Conclusion example:

A. The film version of Shawshank Redemption captures the prisoners humanity on a

deeper level than the text. Darabont accomplishes this early on with the intense scene of Byron
Hadley viciously beating an inmate to death. The casting of Morgan Freeman as Red and the
lack of knowledge surrounding his crime further pull the audience towards the prisoners. Finally,
the murder of Tommy Williams places viewers squarely in the inmates corner. These
differences between film and text highlight some important distinctions between the mediums
themselves as far as what audiences expect. Readers are more likely to accept ambiguity in the
nature of the characters. In other words, the line between good guys and bad guys can be
blurred. In Hollywood films, viewers often expect clear demarcations between good and evil with
good triumphing in the end, and Darabonts adaptation meets these expectations.

B. The film version of Shawshank Redemption captures the prisoners humanity on a

deeper level than the text. Darabont accomplishes this early on with the intense scene of Byron
Hadley viciously beating an inmate to death. The casting of Morgan Freeman as Red and the
lack of knowledge surrounding his crime further pull the audience towards the prisoners. Finally,
the murder of Tommy Williams places viewers squarely in the inmates corner. This empathetic
treatment of the prisoners in the film is important in a country where millions of citizens languish
in jails. If people can see the lowest members of our society in a more humane way, then the
film has accomplished more than mere entertainment.