Objectives

• Analyse how Hoover constructs Lily Bloom's narrative voice to create dramatic irony in the opening rooftop scene (Chapter 1).
• Explain how the 'Naked Truth' journal entries function structurally to juxtapose Lily's adolescent experience of Andrew Bloom's abuse with her adult relationship with Ryle.
• Trace and evaluate the pattern of coercive control and physical violence in Ryle's behaviour across Chapters 8–20, using precise textual evidence.
• Analyse how Hoover uses Lily's decision in Chapter 22 to redefine the novel's central themes of courage and survival.
• Write a sustained, evidenced analytical essay arguing how Hoover presents the cycle of domestic abuse and the conditions required to break it.

The sequence

1. Lesson 1: The Rooftop and the Reader: Dramatic Irony in Chapter 1

   55 min · ch. 1

   Do now

   Without opening the novel, take a moment to reflect on this sentence displayed on the board: 'There is no such thing as bad people. We're all just people who sometimes do bad things.' This epigraph suggests a story that delves into the complexities of morality and human nature, possibly exploring characters who struggle with their flaws and the consequences of their actions. The narrator might be inviting the reader to empathize with these characters, urging them to consider the gray areas of right and wrong.

   Teacher input

   Model a close reading of the rooftop scene in Chapter 1, focusing on the moment when Lily observes the funeral from the roof and then encounters Ryle. Highlight how Hoover's use of first-person present-tense narration fosters intimacy ('I watch him') while also keeping certain details hidden that the reader will only grasp later — particularly that the funeral is for Lily's abusive father, Andrew Bloom. Guide students on how to annotate for dramatic irony: what Lily expresses, what she leaves unsaid, and what the reader comes to understand later. Create a model annotation on the board before students begin their own annotations.

   Independent task

   Students will annotate their own copy of the rooftop exchange in Chapter 1, specifically from 'He's sitting on the ledge of the roof' to the end of Lily and Ryle's first conversation. They need to pinpoint at least three instances where Lily's narration withholds or reframes information. For each moment, they should write a marginal note explaining what the reader doesn't yet know. Additionally, they must compose one PEEL paragraph (at least 120 words) discussing how Hoover employs first-person narration in this scene to encourage the reader to trust Lily before the main conflict of the novel unfolds.

   Exit ticket

   In exactly two sentences, explain what dramatic irony means in the context of Chapter 1's rooftop scene, and name one specific detail Lily shares with the reader that gains new meaning once we learn whose funeral it is.

2. Lesson 2: Past into Present: The 'Naked Truth' Journal as Structural Device (Chapters 2–7)

   55 min · ch. 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7

   Do now

   Read the first journal entry addressed to Ellen DeGeneres at the beginning of Chapter 2. Without peeking ahead, jot down one sentence about why you believe Lily chooses to write to a celebrity instead of a close friend, and one sentence predicting what insights the journal will offer about Lily's childhood that haven't been covered in the main story so far.

   Teacher input

   Model a comparative annotation on the passage in Chapter 4 where teenage Lily's journal recounts seeing Andrew Bloom hit Jenny Bloom, placed alongside the section in Chapter 6 where adult Lily considers her mother's loyalty to her father. Demonstrate how to analyze Hoover's structural juxtaposition: the journal entry is italicized, written in past tense, and directed to Ellen — a distancing technique — while the present narrative is conveyed in first-person and feels immediate. Show students how to craft a comparison sentence using the connective 'whereas' to connect the two passages, and model how to incorporate a brief quotation from each.

   Independent task

   Students choose a journal entry from Chapters 2–7 and a passage from the main narrative in Chapters 3–7 that they think are intentionally connected. They will write a comparative paragraph (at least 150 words) that clearly identifies both passages (for example, 'the journal entry in Chapter 4, where Lily writes…' and 'the scene in Chapter 6, where Lily tells Ryle…'), includes at least one quote from each, and discusses what the structural contrast shows about how Lily's past influences her current view of love.

   Exit ticket

   Write one sentence explaining what the italicised, Ellen-addressed format of the journal entries does to the reader's relationship with young Lily that the main narrative's present-tense voice cannot do on its own.

3. Lesson 3: Naming the Pattern: Ryle's Violence and the Cycle of Abuse (Chapters 8–20)

   60 min · ch. 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20

   Do now

   On the board, there are three quotes from Chapters 8, 11, and 16 that depict Ryle's behavior following a conflict with Lily. Please read all three quotes without making any notes. Rank them according to their severity and provide a single sentence to justify your ranking. Be ready to discuss your reasoning.

   Teacher input

   Model a tracking analysis on the 'incident' in Chapter 16, where Ryle pushes Lily down the stairs after discovering Atlas's text. Use the three-phase cycle of abuse (tension-building, incident, reconciliation) as a critical lens, pinpointing the textual cues Hoover includes in the earlier pages of Chapter 15, such as Ryle's terse dialogue and the change in free indirect discourse. Additionally, incorporate the honeymoon-phase language Ryle employs in Chapter 17 when he says, 'It was an accident, Lily. You know I would never intentionally hurt you.' Guide students on how to integrate this framework into their analytical writing without turning the paragraph into a mere checklist of phases.

   Independent task

   Students create a tension-tracking table for Chapters 8–20, pinpointing at least four unique instances of tension, conflict, or resolution, and quoting directly from the text for each example. Following this, they will compose two interconnected analytical paragraphs (totaling a minimum of 200 words) that explore how Hoover employs the repetition of this cycle — particularly the contrast between Ryle's identity as a neurosurgeon and his behavior in private — to confront the reader's beliefs about the nature of domestic abuse. Each paragraph must incorporate at least two embedded quotations.

   Exit ticket

   In one or two sentences, explain how the language Ryle uses in Chapter 17's reconciliation scene ('It was an accident') mirrors language that appears in Lily's journal entries about Andrew Bloom, and what Hoover wants the reader to understand from that echo.

4. Lesson 4: The Moment of Decision: Lily's Identity and Courage in Chapters 21–24

   55 min · ch. 21, 22, 23, 24

   Do now

   Before diving into the novel, take three minutes to reflect on this prompt: In Chapter 22, Lily states, 'It stops here. With me and Ryle. My mother may not have been able to do it, but I can.' What does it take for someone to make a choice like this? Feel free to draw from your knowledge—whether from the novel, other literature, or your own experiences.

   Teacher input

   Model a character-change analysis on the passage in Chapter 22 where Lily confronts Jenny Bloom and tells her she is leaving Ryle. Focus on how Hoover uses the second-person address in Lily's internal monologue ('You are not your mother') and how this grammatical shift reflects a break in Lily's self-image. Illustrate how to discuss pronouns as a stylistic choice rather than just a grammatical term by demonstrating how 'you' serves as both a form of self-accusation and self-encouragement at the same time. This duality is crucial to understanding Hoover's portrayal of resilience.

   Independent task

   Students are tasked with crafting a focused analytical paragraph (at least 150 words) about the confrontation scene in Chapter 22. They should argue how Hoover redefines courage through Lily's direct address to herself ('You are not your mother') and her dialogue with Jenny. The paragraph must identify the specific scene, include at least two quotations, and link Lily's decision to one earlier moment in the novel—either a journal entry from Chapters 2–7 or the rooftop scene in Chapter 1—to demonstrate how Hoover has been structurally building toward this pivotal moment.

   Exit ticket

   Write one full sentence explaining why Hoover chooses to have Lily break the cycle of abuse in a conversation with her mother rather than in a direct confrontation with Ryle, and what this choice reveals about the novel's argument regarding the intergenerational transmission of trauma.

5. Lesson 5: Sustained Argument: How Hoover Presents the Cycle of Abuse and the Conditions for Breaking It (Chapters 1–25)

   60 min · ch. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25

   Do now

   Revisit the last two pages of Chapter 25, where Lily cradles Emmy Kincaid for the very first time. Write one sentence pinpointing the key word or phrase from those pages and another sentence interpreting its significance in light of everything that has transpired earlier in the novel.

   Teacher input

   Model the construction of an essay introduction on the question 'How does Hoover present the conditions required to break the cycle of domestic abuse in It Ends With Us?' Start with a conceptual claim that sets the stage for the discussion, avoiding any biographical facts about the author. In the same sentence, incorporate one quotation from Chapter 1 and another from Chapter 25 to outline the essay's focus. Conclude the introduction with a thesis statement that identifies at least two of the following elements: narrative structure, characterisation, stylistic choice, and thematic argument. Write the model introduction on the board and annotate each step as you explain.

   Independent task

   Students are tasked with writing a comprehensive analytical essay (between 600 and 900 words) in response to the question: "How does Colleen Hoover use narrative structure, characterization, and language to depict the cycle of domestic abuse and the conditions necessary to break it in It Ends With Us?" The essay must include: an introduction that begins with a conceptual claim and concludes with a clear thesis statement; at least three body paragraphs, each centered on a different technique or moment — students are required to discuss the rooftop scene in Chapter 1, at least one journal entry from Chapters 2–7, Ryle's behavior in at least one scene from Chapters 8–20, and Lily's decision in Chapter 22; a conclusion that revisits the novel's epigraph ("There is no such thing as bad people") and evaluates whether Hoover endorses, complicates, or subverts this idea by Chapter 25. Students should ensure that every quotation is embedded within a sentence rather than floated, and that each technique mentioned is connected to its effect on the reader.

   Exit ticket

   Read back your thesis sentence from your introduction and write one sentence explaining whether your essay's conclusion actually proves that thesis — if it does not, write one sentence explaining what you would need to change to make it do so.

Activities

Assessment

• Chapter 1 exit ticket: checks whether students can define dramatic irony and apply it to a specific named detail in the rooftop scene, not in the abstract.
• Lesson 2 comparative paragraph: checks whether students can name both passages precisely and link structural juxtaposition to thematic meaning, rather than summarising plot.
• Lesson 3 tension-tracking table: checks whether students can identify all three phases of the cycle of abuse across Chapters 8–20 with direct quotation, not paraphrase.
• Lesson 4 exit ticket: checks whether students can articulate Hoover's structural choice — confronting Jenny rather than Ryle — as a deliberate argument about intergenerational trauma, not merely a plot observation.
• Lesson 5 thesis self-check exit ticket: checks whether students can evaluate the coherence of their own argument before submission, identifying the gap between claim and proof.

Standards covered

Common Core 11 12

• RL.11-12.1 — Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.
• RL.11-12.3 — Analyse the impact of the author's choices regarding how to develop and relate elements of a story or drama, including where a story is set, how the action is ordered, and how the characters are introduced and developed.
• RL.11-12.5 — Analyse how an author's choices concerning how to structure specific parts of a text contribute to its overall structure and meaning as well as its aesthetic impact.
• W.11-12.1 — Write arguments to support claims in an analysis of substantive topics or texts, using valid reasoning and relevant and sufficient evidence.

AP Literature

• Literary Argumentation (LAN-1) — Develop a thesis that makes a defensible claim about the literary work and supports it with evidence.
• Figurative Language (FIG-1) — Explain the function of specific words and phrases in a literary text, including how they contribute to meaning.
• Narration (NAR-1) — Explain the function of point of view, including how it shapes the reader's understanding of character and theme.
• Structure (STR-1) — Explain how an author's structural choices contribute to the meaning of the work as a whole.

AQA

• AO1 — Read, understand and respond to texts; maintain a critical style and develop an informed personal response; use textual references, including quotations, to support and illustrate interpretations.
• AO2 — Analyse the language, form and structure used by a writer to create meanings and effects, using relevant subject terminology where appropriate.
• AO3 — Show understanding of the relationships between texts and the contexts in which they were written and received.
• AO4 — Use a range of vocabulary and sentence structures for clarity, purpose and effect, with accurate spelling and punctuation.

Edexcel

• AO1 — Articulate informed, personal and creative responses to literary texts, using associated concepts and terminology, and coherent, accurate written expression.
• AO2 — Analyse ways in which meanings are shaped in literary texts, with reference to language, form and structure.
• AO5 — Demonstrate understanding of the significance and influence of the contexts in which literary texts are written and received.