"Isn't it pretty to think so?"

I don’t really watch too many movies, so I’m having a hard time coming up with some favorite endings. But, I think the ending of The Squid and the Whale was pretty good. It didn't sugar coat anything while still giving us a bit of resolution between characters,  as Walt spends some time with the squid and the whale, which, in a way, represented his relationship with his mother when he was young.

I'm a bit more familiar with books.

Hemingway’s The Sun Also Rises has one of the best endings. The whole book is about a disillusioned group of young people that are struggling to find their own purpose after the war. The very last line of the book is, “Isn’t it pretty to think so?”, which perfectly sums up all the apathy, indifference, and disillusionment that causes the characters so much pain throughout the novel.

So many Hemingways

Hamlet has another great ending. While we of course know that a bunch of people are going to die at the end, by closing with Fortinbras overtaking as ruler, it’s as though the story has come full circle with a new leader (like Hamlet’s uncle at the beginning), even though we aren’t exactly sure it will be less corrupt than the previous kingdom.

Fortinbras, ready to rule

A Farewell to Arms by Hemingway also ends tragically but perfectly. With (sorry, spoiler alert) both the main character Lieutenant Henry’s wife and child dying at the end, I think these awful events really represent just how painful life can be, especially in relation to the rest of the events in the novel such as the war and the injuries experienced by Henry.

Lego Hemingway?

I think some of the best endings are unpredictable and often not happy and perfect, because these more realistic endings allow you to connect more emotionally to the story overall, and keeps you thinking about the novel.  I think the ending of A Temporary Matter has this realistic sadness to it, as the couple realizes that as they shared their secrets and became more open with each other, they were, in fact, distancing themselves more. Mrs. Sen’s also ends similarly, as Eliot and Mrs. Sen stop looking after each other and go back to what was ‘normal,’ although both are unhappy. The ending of This Blessed House also seems like there is not quite any resolution between the characters, as Sanjeev just ends up following Twinkle around the house searching for more leftover religious paraphernalia. However, all of these endings are real, allowing us to relate to the characters and the events in the stories even better, and therefore allowing us to learn more from them.  

Not to be confused with The Emperor of all Maladies

Essentially, this is what the best endings do: by bringing the story back together, they teach us, about ourselves, our relationships, and our environment.  And, this is what I want to do in my own story. While I’m still searching for a way to realistically and memorably link the events of the story back together, I want to be sure to use my story to teach others about the lost, the found, and our relationship to that.