1. religion and spirituality

In "Bluffing", a short story by Gail Helgason, a young woman waits for her
boyfriend to have his bandages removed after surviving a vicious bear attack.
Over the course of the story, readers realize that the physical trauma is just the
backdrop for the emotional stresses that Gabriella and Liam are experiencing as
they try to sort out exactly what their relationship will be. The root of their
tension is left for readers to infer, as Gabriella thinks back through the days
leading up to the bear attack; in the end, Helgason leaves many questions
unanswered: will this couple survive? is Liam to blame for the attack? which
character is the more honest, and which the more false?
This intentional ambiguity in Helgason's storytelling is part of what makes it
a both a frustrating and satisfying story: each reader must draw her own
conclusions, in much the same way that each moment of every human day is also
left open to a multitude of differing perspectives and possible interpretations.
'That's life,' Helgason seems to be suggesting. This is surely one of the key values
of studying stories, and it is an area that is equally well-highlighted by Tim
Burton's film Big Fish and Saki's story "The Storyteller". Both texts deal with the
roles and purposes of stories head-on, as their characters actually specifically
discuss the notion of narrative. But even beyond the characters' obvious
connections to stories and storytelling is the assertion that all humans need
stories in order to understand the world. By examining the use of . . . in the
two texts by Burton and Saki, it will be proved that. . .
Conclusion Paragraphs:
Quickly recap what you've done and recall the thesis.
1-2 sentences, and don't beat me over the head with it!
Then: comment on the significance of the topic in general. Why's it important? Why
should I care?
Sell it.
Bring some art to your writing.
A well-placed metaphor will go a long way, here.You could also consider going back to
something you mentioned in your introduction -- that can provide a nice 'bookend' for
the essay.
Sample Conclusion:
In each of these examples, Burton and Saki clearly point directly at the
underlying significance and role of stories for all humans. Ultimately, that is what
good stories do: they illuminate aspects of the lives of actual people, regardless of
whether or not the stories they're telling are factual or not. In this way, a true story
is more important than a factual one, at least insofar as coming to a better
understanding of the human condition, with all its joy and suffering.
The young lovers recuperating from the bear attack in Helgason's story
understand this too. As they approach each other with their questions about their
relationship, they hope for a means of repairing themselves, just as all humans do. In
the damaged relationship of Gabriella and Liam, readers see themselves, and all the
doomed and damaged lovers in the world --- and the essence of stories, the human
condition, reasserts itself, saying it still has "that much bluffing left" (Helgason 76).
Perhaps that is ultimately the role of stories, then: an endless series of bluffs that
reveal the truths of everyday human existance.
First draft of last paragraph (started, but realized it wasn't quite
working):
The young lovers recuperating from the bear attack in Helgason's story
understand this too. As they approach each other with their questions about their
relationship, they hope for a means of repairing themselves, just as all humans do --and they seem to know that, as they consider the facts of their situation, they may
need to be flexible in order achieve this repair. The truth of their story, and perhaps
of all human stories and moments, is that they must have "that much bluffing left" in
order to be able