The Impact of Fatherhood in the Intergenerational Transmission of Trauma and Lily’s Resilience in Colleen Hoover’s It Ends with Us

Abstract

The study explores the intergenerational trauma that is transmitted through the family system, focusing on how the wounds of one generation shape the psychological and emotional realities of the next. Colleen Hoover’s It Ends with Us (2016) gives a fictional lens to look at the father’s role in transmitting trauma because of his violent behavior. This study examines the paternal influence that plays a vital role in intergenerational trauma, focusing on the child’s emotional and psychological effects of her father’s abusive behavior and her internal turmoil to redefine the relationship. Through a multidisciplinary approach combining trauma theory, literary analysis, and psychology of self, the study states that Hoover has fictionalized both the incidents of inherited trauma and the possibility of breaking the cycle of abuse. The study proves how essential it is to understand that the fatherly figure of a family can influence the childhood of his own child and how necessary it is to be responsible in the parenting of their child. The study aims to help society understand and overlook for the betterment of oneself and also for the future generation to live in harmony and peace.