Example of epilogue in a book

An epilogue can also give the book s audience an overall view of the world inhabited by the characters after the. During the ending credits scene of the avengers, we see the heroes eating at a ruined schwarma shop in new york city. Rowlings epilogue had something of this effect as it showed characters after much time had passed. This epilogue is a good example of how writers can use. An epilogue ties up loose ends that require resolving and which could not be tidied up within the actual story itself. For example, you may decide the purpose of your epilogue is to wrap up loose ends about the fate of the main character. In this book, the narrator, ishmael, is a sailor who joins a whaling crew led by the mysterious captain ahab, who lost his leg to the titular sperm whale, moby dick. You may then focus on where the character ends up ten years or twenty years after the main story ends. For example, an epilogue might introduce a new, suspenseful development.

This epilogue is a good example of how writers can use the literary device to release tension. An epilogue is the opposite of a prologue, which comes at the beginning and provides background information prior to the story. Herman melvilles moby dick 1851 herman melvilles moby dick is a classic tale of vengeance. Suzanne collinss mockingjay does this by showing what happens to main characters katniss and peeta in their lives after the arena. In fact, any ending credit scene in a marvel film would be an example of an epilogue, and often there are two. Not every story needs an epilogue, so do not feel compelled to add one. Epilogue examples epilogue from shakespeares romeo and juliet. How to write an epilogue for a novel pen and the pad. One popular epilogue example is found in harry potter and the deathly hallows, the seventh and final in the series, in which author j.

In the epilogue, ishmael survives by floating on a coffin, and he reminds us that it is this providential yet ironic buoy that has allowed him to carry on the story we are currently reading. Some writers also use an epilogue to expand on a major event that they did not get to explore in the climax of the novel. The purpose of an epilogue is to provide commentary or additional information after the conclusion of the text. Epilogues appear in novels, memoirs, and also in films. Epilogue examples now that you have the answer to what is an epilogue, you may be asking yourself, but what makes a good epilogue. The fact that he survived by clinging to a floating coffin is an elegant touch. Rowling wrote a scene set 19 years after the events of the novel concluded. An afterword addresses how the book came to be, the inspiration for the story, the journey of its development, etc. The book s frenetic end is countered here with an epilogue that soothes readers with the information that ishmael has survived the wreck, and is collected by a passing ship. Examples ofan epilogue example 1 the lord of the rings books and films include a series of scenes at the end of the epic, which show the main characters returning home and or leaving middle earth for further shores during the years immediately after the adventure is concluded.

An epilogue, like a prologue, is a section of a book that stands outside the narrative. Think like a pro suzanne collins, the hunger games. Except the epilogue comes after the main narrative. If you do add one, do it in the right way to make sure your readers come away with a satisfactory experience. Often, we learn the fates of the characters in the epilogue.