Why is the ending scene in The Last Lecture important?

The final scene of The Last Lecture is so important because it reveals Randy's real purpose.

Randy opens The Last Lecture by saying his work is "not about dying." Rather, the lecture is about how to live. Randy accentuates this with talking about his life experiences and the lessons he learned. Throughout the work, the feeling is that Randy is trying to give a primer to the audience as to how life should be lived and what should be done in it to make it more meaningful.

The final scene challenges this idea. It is so important because Randy tells us the real reason why he decided to give the talk: "The talk wasn’t just for those in the room. It was for my kids.” When Randy tells us the talk was intended for his children, we understand he truly is going to die. What we witnessed was a dying father's wish for his children because he will never get to see them grow up. The lecture is a way for Randy to transcend his own limitations and speak to his kids after he is unable to do so. When this revelation dawns on the reader in the final scene, it adds poignancy to a work that is replete with it.

How does The Last Lecture end?

For most of Randy Pausch's book, which is based on his final lecture given at Carnegie Mellon University after learning that he had terminal pancreatic cancer, he speaks to a broad audience. He provides advice for all readers, sharing his wisdom about how to achieve their dreams and live a meaningful life.

In the final chapter of the book, much like at the end of the lecture he delivered, Pausch turns his attention very specifically to his own children. Pausch was a father of three young children, and he wanted to provide them with an instruction manual of sorts as they grew up without him. At the time of publication, his youngest child was only eighteen months old; his oldest was six.

Pausch relays that he has been spending his remaining time with his children by giving them memories that he hopes they will find "unforgettable." He also relates that he has been spending time with people who lost a parent while very young so that he understands the challenges which his own children will face. He has learned that people want to know what made their parents special and what great memories of themselves their parents died with.

Pausch spends the final pages conveying some of the special memories that "fill [his] head" about each of this three kids. Dylan is analytical like his father and is full of curiosity. Logan is adventurous and a "phenomenal ball of positive energy." Chloe is much more careful than her brothers and has her father wrapped around her finger.

The dream Pausch has for each of his children is certain: "to find their own path to fulfillment." He is clear that he wants them to become what they want to become.

In his final words, Pausch acknowledges that the opportunity to provide a last lecture has given him a platform to provide a legacy for his children. Ultimately, he didn't deliver his lecture for those in the room at Carnegie Mellon University—instead, he delivered it as a means for continuing to speak to his children after his death.