It Ends With Us
This article contains discussions of sexual, emotional, and physical abuse.
Spoilers for It Ends With Us are ahead!
Eight years after its publication,It Ends With Usby Colleen Hoover includes many questionable elements worth critiquing.
The book centers on a woman named Lily Bloom, who falls victim to the intergenerational cycle of abuse.
Its natural that the book would elicit strong opinions given the content matter.
Unfortunately, the pairs romantic history hurts the story and message.
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Sadly, the movie followed suit.
Justin Baldoni tried to emphasize the domestic violence storyline, and the trailer made the triggering content more apparent.
However, Blake Livelys interviews presented the movie like a rom-com, misleading many viewers.
Image via Sony Pictures
Unfortunately, when comparing abusers to non-abusers, the threshold for acceptable behavior is set far below reasonable standards.
When looking at the men individually, they almost all display troubling behaviors.
Additionally, his threats to Ryle put her in danger of further abuse.
There are obvious red flags that Ryle will end up abusive when looking at it through a psychological lens.
However, the average reader isnt necessarily primed to recognize domestic violence in this way.
Theres no warning going into this scene that it will turn bad.
As such, the domestic violence comes across as a plot twist, which is never okay.
On the one hand, the book is told from the perspective of Lily, a domestic abuse violence.
In this way, the romanticization of abuse is realistic.
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That tips the scales more toward the romanticization of earlier behaviors.
As such, its impossible to deemIt Ends With Usa bad book with 100% objectivity.
However, its reasonable to judge the quality of writing, which is lacking.
The golden rule in creative writing is show, dont tell.
He loves you so much.
You have changed his entire life and have made him someone that I never thought he could be.
As his sister, I wish more than anything that you could find a way to forgive him.
While the phrasing might be flawed, Allysa doesnt have to speak perfectly for her words to have meaning.
The statement reaffirms to Lily that she wont lose her best friend if she leaves the abusive relationship.
Support is an essential consideration in someone leaving an abuser though obviously not the only factor.
Ryle gives her space for months at a time without crossing her boundaries.
He abides by her request not to convince her to get back with him.
He doesnt harass her or threaten her.
This level of immediate understanding doesnt feel realistic.
She only returns to him because she genuinely believes he can control his actions.
After the third incident, she goes to the hospital for treatment, documenting the injuries.
She never questions whether she should give birth to Emerson or handle parenting.
The idea of a victim being forced to co-parent with an abuser isnt outlandish.
Image via Sony Pictures
In fact, its a painful reality that people live through every day.
The problem is that she didnt even try, despite having the money, resources, and support.
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