It Ends with Us

Use this activity to engage all types of learners, while requiring that they refer to and incorporate details from the text over the course of the activity.

“Parallels in a Poem”

In this activity, readers will analyze and annotate the poem “Domestic Violence” by Eavan Boland, taking into account the key plot points, indirect characterization, and themes of It Ends with Us. 

Read the poem with the group or to yourself. In small groups of 2-3 or independently, perform an in-depth analysis of the poem, annotating it according to these criteria:

• Phrases or words that you find especially powerful and/or meaningful
• Words for which you note connotation
• Lines that connect to or parallel the events, tone, or characters of the novel in some way
• Connections to the text’s themes and motifs
• Literary devices that you discover, such as simile, metaphor, symbolism, and irony
• Sound devices that you recognize, such as alliteration, assonance, and onomatopoeia

As a group, discuss your findings. Which lines did you find to be the most powerful and why? To what setting and events might the speaker of the poem be alluding, and what messages are conveyed through the title? What connections or comparisons can you draw to Lily’s voice, the novel’s messages, and other literary elements in the text?

Teaching Suggestion: Consider printing out a copy of the poem with added white space between the lines so that readers can annotate by hand with a variety of ink colors, highlighters, or sticky notes. Alternately, copying the text of the poem into a design or drawing program can allow for varied annotations that employ the use of captions and borders.

Differentiation Suggestion: For a more visual approach, consider allowing readers to create a collage of images or sketches instead of traditional annotations. Readers who would like to express themselves through poetry might write an original piece as inspired by the text-poem connections.

Use these essay questions as writing and critical thinking exercises for all levels of writers, and to build their literary analysis skills by requiring textual references throughout the essay.

Differentiation Suggestion: For English learners or struggling writers, strategies that work well include graphic organizers, sentence frames or starters, group work, or oral responses.

Scaffolded Essay Questions

Student Prompt: Write a short (1-3 paragraph) response using one of the bulleted outlines below. Cite details from the text over the course of your response that serve as examples and support.

1. Lily’s character evolves throughout the novel, particularly in regard to her views of intimate relationships.

• How does Lily change from the beginning to the end of the novel? (topic sentence)
• Identify and explain at least 3 key instances from a variety of places in the novel that demonstrate Lily’s character. Compare each chosen scene, analyzing the changes in her ideas, actions, and reactions.
• In your concluding sentence(s), evaluate Lily’s final choices at the end of the novel; briefly explain what she has discovered or learned through her actions.

2. Lily has multiple people in her life who offer her support.

• To what extent do Lily’s supportive relationships impact her decisions? (topic sentence)
• Choose 3 different characters with whom Lily has a supportive relationship. Analyze each character’s impact on Lily’s course of action and evaluate the effectiveness of each one’s support. Does one character’s influence surpass the others’ influence? If so, how is this evident?
• In your concluding sentences, summarize the specific messages the author  may have intended to symbolize through the role of each support character.

3. Ryle is introduced as a nuanced character, shifting between loving spouse and abusive partner.

• How does Ryle mirror the actions of Lily’s father with his own choices? (topic sentence)
• Choose 3 key plot points surrounding Ryle’s actions toward Lily. Analyze and compare these actions with Lily’s memories of her father. Describe the difference between the two men versus how they relate to each other.
• In your concluding sentences, evaluate the author’s efficacy in demonstrating The Cyclical Nature of Domestic Violence through these two characters.

Full Essay Assignments

Student Prompt: Write a structured and well-developed essay. Include a thesis statement, at least three main points supported by text details, and a conclusion.

1. Alternating between present conflicts and past memories, Lily explores her old diary entries written to Ellen DeGeneres. How does this narrative device enhance the plot? What is the impact on characterization and tone? To what extent does the structure support the overall message of the novel? In an essay of 3-5 paragraphs, evaluate the author’s efficacy in using this narrative device.

2. Consider this quote from Lily regarding her plants: “Plants reward you based on the amount of love you show them. If you’re cruel to them or neglect them, they give you nothing. But if you care for them and love them in the right way, they reward you with gifts in the form of vegetables or fruits or flowers” (Chapter 8). In an essay of 3-5 paragraphs, explore and analyze the symbolic nature of plants throughout the novel. Incorporate a minimum of three text examples or quoted phrases regarding this symbol, cited in the style your instructor suggests.

Multiple Choice and Long Answer Questions create ideal opportunities for whole-text review, exams, or summative assessments.

Multiple Choice

1. What traumatic childhood event does Lily recount in the beginning of the novel?

A) Her first day of school

B) Her parents’ divorce

C) Witnessing her father’s abuse

D) Losing Atlas as her best friend

2. Which choice best describes Lily’s changing perceptions of Ryle throughout the novel?

A) She initially finds him rude, then falls in love with him, until finally realizing that he wasn’t worth the abuse.

B) She initially finds him attractive, then hates him for his abusive nature, until she finally forgives him entirely.

C) She initially loves him and continually loves him throughout the novel despite his violent nature.

D) She initially finds him aggressive until she discovers his softer side.

3. In what way is Ryle’s background most similar to Lily’s?

A) They both experienced lost love in their childhoods.

B) They both experienced violence in their childhoods.

C) They both are passionate about their growing businesses.

D) They both struggle with impulsive tendencies.

4. Why does Atlas’s return negatively affect Ryle?

A) Ryle is jealous of Lily, wishing for Atlas’s affections.

B) Ryle fears that Atlas would steal his employment.

C) Ryle dislikes Atlas’s abusive tendencies toward Lily.

D) Ryle is envious of Lily and Atlas’s past romance.

5. Which plot point best demonstrates Lily’s independent nature?

A) She starts and runs her own flower shop.

B) She pulls Atlas aside at the restaurant to talk.

C) She and Atlas sleep together in her childhood home.

D) She names her child after Ryle’s deceased older brother.

6. “It stops here. With me and you. It ends with us” (Epilogue). Which theme does this quote best support?

A) The Necessity of Support

B) The Cyclical Nature of Domestic Violence

C) Long-Lost Love

D) The Need for Independence

7. Which quote best supports the theme The Necessity of Support?

A) “Shouldn’t there be more distaste in our mouths for the abusers than for those who continue to love the abusers?” (Chapter 25)

B) “It’s not a person’s actions that hurt the most. It’s the love.” (Chapter 30)

C) “Never lose sight of your limit.” (Chapter 32)

D) “Sometimes parents have to work through their differences and bring a new level of maturity into a situation in order to do what’s best for a child.” (Chapter 34)

8. Which statement best describes the similarities between Lily and her mother?

A) Lily opened a flower shop, and her mother started her own business.

B) Lily is kind and compassion while her mother is highly protective.

C) Lily and her mother both suffered from abuse by domestic partners.

D) Lily and her mother both survived traumatic childhood experiences.

9. What excuse does Ryle give for abusing Lily throughout the novel?

A) He wasn’t loved enough as a child, so he takes it out on Lily.

B) He accidentally shot his brother and now suffers from disconcerting blackouts.

C) He was shot as a child and is unable to control his rage.

D) He treated a young boy who was shot by a sibling, triggering a negative response.

10. To whom does Lily write letters as a child?

A) Her mother

B) Atlas

C) Ellen DeGeneres

D) Oprah Winfrey

11. “It takes an astronomical amount of pain and courage to disrupt a familiar pattern” (Epilogue). To which theme does this quote best relate?

A) The Cyclical Nature of Domestic Violence

B) The Necessity of Support

C) Lily’s Desire for Freedom

D) Reflection and Introspection

12. Why is Lily continuously conflicted about her feelings for Ryle?

A) She hates his family yet desires to be a part of it.

B) She fears his violent nature but admires his acts of service in the medical world.

C) She cares for him like a brother while he loves her like a spouse.

D) She feels love for him but understands the toxicity of his abusive nature.

13. Which of the following statements best describes Lily and Allysa’s relationship?

A) Positive and professional

B) Sisterly and supportive

C) Parental and conflicting

D) Abusive and fearful

14. How does Lily and Atlas’s relationship support the theme The Necessity of Support?

A) Lily took care of Atlas when they were teenagers, and Atlas reciprocates in adulthood.

B) Atlas took Lily in as a teenager, and Lily supports his restaurant as an adult.

C) Lily gave Atlas shelter as a child, and Atlas fought against her father’s tyrannical parenting.

D) Atlas returned from the military to help Lily, and Lily accepts his support.

15. How does Lily break the cycle of domestic abuse?

A) She divorces Ryle and marries Atlas.

B) She forgives Ryle in order to create a happy marriage for Emerson.

C) She separates from Ryle to pursue a healthy relationship for Emerson.

D) She moves in with Allysa, denouncing Ryle and starting her life over anew.

Long Answer

Compose a response of 2-3 sentences, incorporating text details to support your response.

1. What role do Lily’s friends play in her journey?

2. What does the character of Atlas symbolize in Lily’s life?