What are these things? Bonus features? Some sort of literary encore? It’s called an epilogue, and it leaves us with parting thoughts long after the main narrative has taken its bow.
We will explore this little device and dig into its purpose, power, and the many creative ways authors and filmmakers have used it over the years.
What is an Epilogue?
An epilogue is a concluding section of a literary work, play, or film, which exists completely outside of the main story arc and provides an extra insight or commentary on the story. It adds value by providing closure, foreshadowing future events, or offering thematic reinforcement.
Difference between a Prologue and an Epilogue
A prologue and an epilogue are both structural elements of a narrative, and they are both considered to be outside of the main story arc.
Their similarities end here because they serve opposite purposes and appear at different points in the narrative.
| Prologue | Epilogue |
|---|
Placement | It appears at the beginning of a story, before the main narrative starts. | It appears at the end of a story, after the main plot concludes. |
Purpose | It introduces background information, sets the tone, or provides context for the story. | It provides closure, reveals characters’ fates, or hints at future events |
Perspective | It is often written from a different perspective, time period, or narrator from the main story. | It may shift perspective, take place in the future, or provide a reflective commentary. |
Effect on Story | It helps readers/audiences understand the setting, themes, or motivations before the plot unfolds. | It leaves readers/audience with a final thought, emotional impact, or open-ended conclusions. |
Example | Paper Towns by John Green uses a prologue to inform readers of a key backstory event—a suicide witnessed by the main characters—which shapes their worldview throughout the novel. | In The Hunger Games: Mockingjay, the epilogue shows Katniss years later, living a peaceful life with Peeta and their children, but still haunted by their past. |
Difference between a Denouement and an Epilogue
Also, it’s important not to confuse denouement with epilogue. A denouement is the essential concluding and final part within the story arc where the central conflict is resolved and plot threads are tied up.
An epilogue, on the other hand, is an optional section that comes after the denouement, often showing how the characters are doing further in the future, sometimes even hinting at what might happen next. In other words, a denouement wraps up the story, while an epilogue provides a glimpse beyond the narrative’s conclusion.
Now, as we have established how an epilogue is different from a prologue and a denouement, let’s explore what it is that sets the epilogue apart from the main narrative or the main arc of the story.
Things to Remember While Writing an Epilogue
1. Always position it at the end:
- An epilogue always appears after the main story concludes, often following the climax and the resolution (denouement).
- It is often considered a chapter, but depending on the structure of their work, some writers may choose not to label it as such formally.
2. Use it to provide closure or continuation:
- One of the primary functions of an epilogue is to tie up the loose ends of a narrative. It may reveal the fate of characters, explain unresolved plot points, or show the long-term consequences of the story.
- In some cases, it hints at future conflicts or sets up sequels.
3. Use it to shift in tone, time, and perspective:
- The tone of an epilogue may be different from the main narrative, often feeling reflective or forward-looking. The tone of an epilogue depends on the story.
- Epilogues often jump forward in time to show what happens to characters after the main events.
- It may also shift to another perspective, such as a different character or an omniscient point of view, or break the fourth wall.
4. Use it to focus on the characters’ fate and consequences:
- It reveals what happens to key characters after the main events.
- It explores the long-term consequences of major story decisions.
5. Use it to reinforce the story’s theme and message:
- The epilogue may underscore the story’s deeper themes, offering a moral lesson or philosophical reflection.
- The epilogue may offer a final emotional impact, a reflection on the narrative, or a broader context for the events that unfolded, leaving readers with a lasting impression.
6. Make sure it serves a purpose:
- Not all stories have or need an epilogue, but when used, they (should) serve a clear purpose.
- It adds value to the narrative, whether by providing closure, deepening themes, or offering a glimpse into the future.
7. Exploit its flexibility:
- Epilogues can be written in first-person, third-person, or even second-person perspective.
- They may include narration, dialogue, or a combination of both.
8. You can keep it short or detailed:
- An epilogue can range from a couple of paragraphs to a full chapter, depending on the story’s need.
- They are often concise but impactful.
Epilogue Books and Movies—Examples
Across literature and cinema, epilogues have given us some of the most memorable final moments, from heartwarming glimpses into characters’ futures to shocking twists that reframe everything we just experienced.
Epilogue is a powerful storytelling device that reflects on themes and offers us a peek into the narratives beyond the end. Let’s explore some examples of epilogues in iconic books and movies, showcasing how they enhance the storytelling experience and resonate with audiences long after the story ends.
Books
1. Moby Dick (1851) by Herman Melville
The epilogue consists of a single paragraph. It reveals that after Pequod’s destruction, Ishmael was the only one who survived. The ship sank, creating a deadly vortex, and Ishmael was dangerously on the edge of it, barely kept afloat by Queequeg’s coffin, which buoyed up to him. He was later rescued by another ship, the Rachel, which was searching for its own missing sailors.
Melville’s brief epilogue serves multiple functions. First off, it tells how the narrator survived to tell the tale. He also provides a symbolic resurrection through Queequeg’s coffin—someone’s death transforming into someone’s life.
It also delivers a final irony that Ishmael is saved by a ship that is searching for lost men who will never be found. The circular motion of the epilogue (The Rachel still searching) suggests that the quest is a never-ending process. It reinforces the novel’s philosophical exploration of humanity’s unending pursuit of meaning in an indifferent universe.
2. A Tale of Two Cities (1859) by Charles Dickens
The epilogue follows Sydney Carton’s execution, where he sacrifices himself in place of Charles Darnay. In his final moments, Carton has a prophetic vision of the future, seeing that Lucie and Charles will have a son named after him who will achieve the success Carton never did. He foresees the downfall of the executioners during the Reign of Terror and envisions a peaceful future for France. The epilogue concludes with Carton’s famous line: “It is a far, far better thing that I do, than I have ever done; it is a far, far better rest that I go to than I have ever known.”
Dickens’ epilogue turns Carton’s death into a redemptive triumph, completing his character arc from a dissipated cynic to a selfless hero. Through his prophetic vision, the epilogue extends beyond the narrative and provides a historical perspective on the French Revolution, suggesting that the rule of order and justice will emerge from the chaos.
The epilogue’s final lines encapsulate the novel’s themes of resurrection and renewal through sacrifice.
3. Les Misérables (1862) by Victor Hugo
The epilogue describes Jean Valjean’s death and burial in a pauper’s grave. Despite his redemptive life and selfless actions, he dies largely forgotten, with only Cosette and Marius at his bedside. His grave remains unmarked except for the words written on a plain stone: “He sleeps” and “Though fate was dark for him, he lived.” The story concludes that “he died when angels were not watching.”
Hugo’s epilogue powerfully comments on how society often fails to recognize true moral virtue, reinforcing the novel’s themes of justice and redemption. Valjean’s anonymous grave sharply contrasts with his impact on other people’s lives, emphasizing that true heroism often goes unnoticed.
The conclusion suggests that his spiritual redemption goes beyond worldly recognition, completing the novel’s exploration of human dignity in the face of social injustice.
Movies
1. Schindler’s List(1993), directed by Steven Spielberg
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Spielberg’s shift to color in the epilogue creates a powerful bridge between historical tragedy and present-day remembrance, suggesting that Schindler’s legacy lives on in vibrant life rather than in the monochrome past.
Spielberg used actual Holocaust survivors, reminding the viewers that the story, despite being a film, represents real human suffering and real human courage. The epilogue goes beyond the conventional narrative closure by connecting the audience directly to historical reality.
2. Forrest Gump (1994) directed by Robert Zemeckis
Forrest Gump (1994) - Ending SceneThe presidencies of Kennedy and Johnson, the events of Vietnam, Watergate, and other history unfold through the perspective of ...
Zemeckis’ epilogue shows Forrest (Tom Hanks) as a devoted father and completes his character arc from a social outcast to a responsible human being capable of deep connection.
Jenny’s death provides a bittersweet quality, tempering the film’s optimism with the inevitability of life’s losses. The epilogue also brings the narrative full circle by bookending the opening scene.
3. Titanic (1997) directed by James Cameron
Titanic Ending Scene 60Fpstitanic #leonardodicaprio #katewinslet #celinedion the closing scene of the 1997 james camron montion picture (titanic) relive it in ...
Cameron’s epilogue transforms what otherwise could have been just a disaster movie into a reflection on love and memory. By throwing the necklace into the ocean, Rose symbolically completes her journey and rejects the materialistic values that initially defined her life. The dream-like reunion sequence blurs the line between memory and the afterlife. The epilogue also provides a closure to the central romance.
How to Write an Epilogue
So, you have wrapped your story, your main characters have survived (or not), and everything feels… mostly done. But maybe there is a little more to say, yeah? That’s where an epilogue sneaks in like, “Hey, one last thing before we go.”
Writing an epilogue isn’t about starting a new chapter–it’s about adding the final note that makes the whole story hit differently. It’s your chance to fast-forward a bit, show what changed, or give readers a glimpse into life after the chaos. Think of it like the bonus scene after the movie credits. The battle is over, but now we get to see who is thriving, who is still healing, or who opened that coffee shop in a sleepy coastal town.
Here is the key: don’t overdo it. Epilogues are short, punchy, and purposeful. They don’t rehash the plot–they show impact. And honestly, they are a great way to end on an emotional high (or low, depending on your style). Whether it’s hopeful, bittersweet, or just plain satisfying, your epilogue should feel like a final hug goodbye, not another dramatic exit.
Epilogue
In the final pages of a novel or the fading moments of a movie, an epilogue stands as a parting glance that satisfies our human need for completion. These moments resonate beyond the main narrative, allowing stories to echo in our minds.
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