Salsabila, Fatimah Yasmin (2025) THE PSYCHOLOGICAL TRAUMA OF THE MAIN FEMALE CHARACTER IN COLLEEN HOOVER’S IT ENDS WITH US (2016). Undergraduate thesis, Fakultas Ilmu Budaya.

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Abstract

Everyone has fears that sometimes feel unbearable. To overcome them, the individual has their own way of coping. In this thesis, the writer aims to analyze the psychological trauma of Lily Bloom’s character in It Ends With Us by Colleen Hoover through Cathy Caruth’s Unclaimed Experience: Trauma, Narrative, and History theory, analyzing its symptoms, causes, and effects using a qualitative, library-based approach. Lily’s trauma manifests through flashbacks, intrusive thoughts, and fixation on past abuse, rooted in her childhood exposure to domestic violence and mirrored in her adult relationship with Ryle Kincaid. The causes include repeated violence, ongoing psychological threats, and internalized abuse, which erode her sense of safety and shape her identity. The resulting effects—
emotional numbing, recurring abusive patterns, and persistent psychological fixation—impact her self-perception, relationships, and choices. The study emphasizes the social dimensions of trauma, shaped by family history, gendered
power, and cultural norms. Lily’s eventual break from the cycle of abuse illustrates resilience and empowerment, demonstrating how confronting trauma can foster
healing, self-determination, and a broader understanding of mental health in contemporary fiction.
Keywords: psychological trauma, Cathy Caruth, It Ends With Us, Lily Bloom

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