Literary Terms in It Ends with Us

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Literary Terms in It Ends with Us

“There is no such thing as bad people. We’re all just people who sometimes do bad things.” – Colleen Hoover

Is this quote a foreshadowing?

 Exploring Plot Structure, Themes, and Character Development

 Introduction to It Ends with Us

Author: Colleen Hoover

Bestselling author known for emotional stories.

It Ends with Us published in 2016.

Sales & Popularity:

Over 4 million copies sold worldwide.

New York Times Bestseller for over 50 weeks.

4.5/5 stars on Goodreads, 1.3 million ratings.

Social Media & Impact:

Viral on TikTok and Bookstagram.

#ItEndsWithUs has millions of views.

Optioned for a film adaptation in 2021.

 Plot Structure in It Ends with Us

Plot structure refers to the organized sequence of events in a story. It outlines how the story unfolds and is typically divided into key parts:

Exposition: Introduces characters, setting, and the main conflict.

Rising Action: Builds tension as the conflict develops and complications arise.

Climax: The turning point, where the main conflict reaches its peak.

Falling Action: Events that occur after the climax, leading toward resolution.

Resolution: The conflict is resolved, and the story concludes.

Exposition:

Lily Bloom meets Ryle Kincaid, a neurosurgeon in Boston, and they begin dating. After a few months, they decide to have dinner with Lily's mother. At the restaurant, Lily runs into Atlas, an old flame from her past. Later, Lily finds out that Atlas owns the restaurant and is now a popular chef. As Lily reflects on their history, she begins reading her old journals filled with letters to Ellen DeGeneres, bringing up memories of her time with Atlas.

Incident:

After an argument with Ryle, he hits Lily and promises it was an accident, swearing he will never do it again. Lily later attends dinner at Atlas’s restaurant, where she and Atlas have a private conversation about one of Lily's bruises. Atlas gives Lily his number, offering support if she ever needs help. When Ryle finds them together, he becomes enraged and punches Atlas, leading to them being escorted out. Despite this, Lily and Ryle eventually decide to get married in Las Vegas, believing that their love for each other is strong enough to overcome their struggles.

Rising Action:

As their relationship progresses, the tension between Ryle and Lily grows. After a particularly difficult evening, Lily returns home to find Ryle extremely drunk and angry. He has read her journals, which reveal her past with Atlas, and the argument escalates. Ryle’s violent behavior intensifies, and he hurts Lily once again. In desperation, Lily calls Atlas to come to her rescue. They go to the hospital, where Lily finds out she is pregnant with Ryle’s child. Atlas takes her to his house, offering her refuge and the time she needs to process what has happened.

Climax:

Lily faces a life-changing decision when she learns she’s pregnant. While Ryle is away for a training course in England, Lily finds some peace but is still unsure about her future. After a few months, Ryle learns of Lily’s pregnancy, and although he wants to reconcile, Lily is conflicted. The climax occurs when Lily comes to the realization that she cannot continue living with Ryle in an abusive relationship, for her own sake and for the sake of her child. She makes the difficult decision to break free from him and move forward with her life.

Resolution:

When Lily goes into labor, Ryle takes her to the hospital, and after the baby is born, they name her Emerson after Ryle’s late brother. However, Lily realizes that Ryle is not the person she needs in her life. Despite Ryle still loving her, he respects her decision to divorce. In the final resolution, Lily encounters Atlas on the street and after a brief conversation, they go their separate ways. However, as she is about to drop off her daughter, Lily runs to catch up with Atlas. He embraces her, and they begin a new chapter together, finding happiness and love outside the trauma of Lily’s past.

Themes in It Ends with Us

Theme:

Breaking the Cycle of Abuse: Lily decides to stop the cycle of abuse in her life and make healthier choices for herself and her future child.

Self-Worth and Empowerment: Lily learns to value herself and realize she deserves a love that is healthy and free from violence.

Love vs. Toxicity: The story explores the complexities of love in the face of abuse, making the reader question what true love should look like.

Example from the Story:

Lily chooses herself over Ryle, despite their history, and breaks free from the abusive cycle.

Character development 

Character development is when a character changes or grows during a story.

Round characters are well-developed and have many different traits and feelings.

Flat characters are simple and don’t change much in the story.

Lily Bloom

Round Character: Lily is a round character because she is complex, multi-dimensional, and undergoes significant development throughout the novel.

At the start of the story, Lily is independent and determined to build a better life. As the story unfolds, she faces emotional challenges from her past and her complicated relationship with Ryle.

She grows from a young woman unsure about love to someone who finds the strength to leave an abusive relationship, showing emotional growth.

Lily’s struggle between her feelings for Atlas and Ryle, and her journey to understand her self-worth and what a healthy relationship looks like, reveal how much her character evolves.

Ryle Kincaid

Round Character: Ryle is a round character because, like Lily, he has both good and bad qualities. He’s charming and successful, but also abusive and struggles with anger.

At first, Ryle seems like a loving partner, but as the story goes on, his abusive side shows more.

Ryle feels guilty about his actions and struggles with inner conflict, which shows emotional depth. However, his inability to change makes him a tragic character.

Atlas Corrigan

Round Character: Atlas is a round character as well. While his story is less complex than Lily's or Ryle’s, he still undergoes personal growth and transformation.

Atlas starts as a homeless young man but is deeply loyal, caring, and constantly tries to protect Lily. His journey to stability and success and his unwavering devotion to Lily show that his character evolves, though more slowly compared to others.

He transforms from a character in need of help to someone who provides security and support, and his deep feelings for Lily are revealed in layers throughout the story.

Another story within the same theme

The Story of an Hour by Kate Chopin

It Ends with Us and The Story of an Hour both explore the theme of freedom within marriage. In The Story of an Hour, Louise Mallard feels a sense of relief when she thinks her husband has died, believing it will free her from a confining marriage. Similarly, in *It Ends with Us*, Lily Bloom struggles with an abusive relationship and, after much pain, decides to leave in order to regain her sense of self and freedom. Both stories highlight the desire for independence and the difficult choices women must make to protect their happiness and well-being.

You will now analyze your reading books to identify examples of foreshadowing, irony, theme, and symbolism and write them in your book journal.