When a reader picks up a book to read, that reader expects to find an emotional pay off at the end of the book. Strangely enough, the goal of any story is also the character’s emotional pay off.  It’s what the character has been striving for and fighting for throughout the entire story.  Therefore, it has to be a satisfying ending for both the character in the book and the reader.  Often, there is a short-term goal that leads to the final goal.  In other words, the reader needs to feel good about the story they have read. 

The goal is often attached to the problem of a story.  So, let’s take another look at the fairy tales.

            Cinderella—The problem:  Mistreated by a jealous stepmother and stepsisters.  The immediate goal:  Wants to go to the royal ball. Once that goal is reached the story doesn’t end because there is a second, and necessary goal:  The prince has to find the owner of the glass slipper. 

            With these types of fairy tales…they live happily ever after.

            Sleeping Beauty—The problem:  Because of a jealous and wicked stepmother Snow white is sent to the forest to be killed.  The immediate goal:  Surviving.  The long-term goal:  Someday a prince will come and take her away.

These goals are pretty simple but they work.  If your students like to read mysteries, the goal would be to solve the mystery.  I’ve known people who go into a bookstore and actually read the end of the book first.  If they like what they’ve read they often buy the book.  That’s one way to make sure to get the satisfying ending you want.

Are there any wrong endings that work?  For me, the ending of Gone With the Wind was wrong and right at the same time.  The heroine loses the hero but the book promises another day.  When the author died, that left the ending of the only book she wrote, all wrong.  She would never be able to write a sequel to the book that would have the ending most of us wanted.  Yet at the same time, in Gone With the Wind the reader saw the ending coming, and knew the heroine hadn’t changed enough as she neared that goal.  It does take a talented writer to create such emotions in a reader.

You can bet in most children’s books the endings will be upbeat and the character has learned his or her lesson of the book.

Assignment:  After your students finish a book they have selected ask them if they liked the ending.  If they didn’t ask them why and how they thought it should end.  This brings on questions about the entire content of the story.  How did the character strive for the ending?  How can of obstacles did they have to overcome to reach the end. 

Sometimes it’s fun to work backwards to determine each decision that led up to the end. 

Have fun with the project!