A Great Lily Ends With Our Confession of Character Debate

This article discusses domestic violence, gaslighting, and rape.

MAJOR SPOILERS for It's Over with Us ahead!

Summary

• Lily's take on “Unreliable Narrator” in the film adaptation of It Ends With Us acknowledges a major character conflict that has risen since the novel's revival.
• The film contains moments of self-awareness through subtle humor that nods to debates surrounding Colleen Hoover's character names and narrators.
• Despite the debate over Lily's credibility as a narrator, the focus must remain on the important message of surviving abuse and breaking the cycle.

A film adaptation of Lily's unreliable narrator It ends with us Thanks to BookTok, it gives a nod to the mainstream discussion of the Lily Bloom character that has been prevalent since the novel's 2021 revival. The film takes its story and characters from Colleen Hoover's controversial 2016 book, but has taken many steps to correct problematic and questionable elements in the source material.

in addition to changing It ends with us better book, movie included two shows self-awareness in humorous, subtle meta moments. The first moment came when Lily poked fun at Ryle's name, hinting at a conversation around the names of Colleen Hoover's characters. The second moment of self-awareness came when Lily told Ryle, “I'm not sure. I am an unreliable narrator,” in response to her question about how far she would go with a stranger. This line hints at a debate that has existed among readers for at least several years.

Lily's Reception of “Unreliable Narrator” Recalls a Major Controversy.

Many fans of the book have debated the accuracy of Lily's perspective

After Colleen Hoover's book became big, readers began to debate the reliability of Lily's account of the events. Some people felt that Ryle's actions were not as terrible as he thought. Others think Lily missed the red flags in Ryle and romanticized his behavior. Lily herself”unreliable narrator” appears as a nod to the beginning of the film adaptation It ends with us character dispute. However, it should be noted that both of these arguments blame the victim when approached from a place of judgment instead of interest.

A victim does not need to be perfect to deserve empathy.

Jealousy didn't give Ryle an excuse to bully Lily, so his actions were as bad as she thought. Plus, the fact that Lily missed and/or romanticized Ryle's red flags didn't make her guilty. She grew up in an abusive household that normalized domestic violence. Instead, Lily's flaws as a storyteller made her human rather than responsible. A victim does not need to be perfect to deserve empathy.

Moreover, Lily was gassed by her abuser in both the Colleen Hoover books and the film adaptation. It ends with usso he questioned the account of events along with the readers. So an audience that questions its credibility should allow them to empathize more, not less.

The “Insecure Speaker” Point Doesn't Change Lily's Trauma

Lily's Trauma Is Believable Even Without the Most Believable Narrator

While the question of a narrator's credibility is interesting, considerations of the issue can distract from larger messages and themes. It ends with us. No matter how you look at the situation, the objective fact is that Lily was abused by her husband. He had his hand behind his back, pushed her down the stairs, bit her and nearly raped her. All of these experiences are serious trauma.

If you are experiencing domestic violence, it is not your fault and help is available. Please call the domestic violence hotline at 1-800-799-7233 or visit thehotline.org.

Furthermore, Ryle was the only person responsible for Ryle's abuse. Regardless of how her prejudices affect her perspective, her strength to survive, leave, and build a better life for her daughter is to be admired. A film adaptation of Emerson choosing to raise her alone It ends with us prevented her daughter from witnessing or experiencing her father's abuse.