Final answer:
The rise of serialized fiction popularized the use of cliffhangers to end chapters, ensuring readers' return for subsequent installments. Other narrative strategies such as tragic cautionary endings were also used, especially in pulp fiction, to provide satisfying conclusions while avoiding legal issues. Notable authors have employed a variety of approaches to conclude their chapters, influencing the reader's experience of the narrative.
Step-by-step explanation:
The approach to ending a chapter that became more popular with the rise of serialized fiction is the use of cliffhangers or suspenseful endings. Serialized fiction, which often appeared in magazines or as part of a series, necessitated a compelling end to each installment to ensure that readers would come back for the next part. This technique aligns with the broader literary strategies authors employ to maintain reader interest and drive the narrative forward. Cliffhangers are particularly effective because they leave a reader eager to find out what happens next, thereby creating a sense of anticipation and engagement with the story.
Serialized narratives, such as those by Charles Dickens, often feature dramatic chapter conclusions that leave characters in uncertain situations or intrigue the reader with an unresolved mystery. Likewise, modern serialized formats, including television shows and webisodes, have adopted this approach to keep viewers hooked and talking about the show between episodes. This is not the only method for ending a chapter; authors might also conclude with a change of perspective, the resolution of a theme, or a shift in the narrative. However, cliffhangers are a prominent and distinctive feature of serialized storytelling.
In the context of pulp fiction during the 1950s, authors often employed tragic cautionary endings to sidestep legal repercussions for covering controversial topics while still providing a satisfying narrative closure. In more literary works, authors like Walter Scott, Jane Austen, Edgar Allan Poe, and Mary Shelley created various endings ranging from the gothic to the supernatural that influence how a chapter or story concludes. These endings contribute to the reader's overall experience of the text and can leave powerful impressions that resonate beyond the final page.