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The carved wooden heart that Atlas makes for Lily when they are teenagers symbolizes the significant role that Lily and Atlas have played in each other’s lives. As a teenager, Lily is terrorized by Lily’s father’s abuse of Lily’s mother, and Atlas is left homeless and squatting in the abandoned building behind Lily’s home after his mother kicked him out. Lily and Atlas bond over these traumas, taking refuge in each other’s company to help navigate their hardships, and a passionate romance blooms from this bond. One night, Atlas brings Lily a heart, open at the top, which he carved for her as a present. Atlas’s gift is symbolically significant in two ways. First, the open top and hollow center of the heart reflects the way that Lily and Atlas, two people whose emotional wounds have caused them to feel isolated and shut down, open each other up to love through their serendipitous friendship and eventual romance. Second, the heart is carved from wood Atlas takes from the oak tree behind Lily’s house. One afternoon, while sitting with Lily by her garden, Atlas grows reflective as they discuss how plants that are not cared for shrivel, just like neglected children. Lily, understanding that Atlas is talking about himself, uses the oak tree to explain how some plants thrive without any care at all, doggedly surviving where they sprout. By carving Lily a heart from the wood of that same tree, Atlas’s gift symbolizes the way Lily’s words have encouraged him. It also shows how their relationship is particularly meaningful because they both understand what it means to grow despite coming from trying environments.
After Lily and Atlas part ways when Atlas moves to Boston to live with his uncle, Lily gets a tattoo of an open heart in the place on her collarbone that Atlas always used to kiss her. The tattoo is a testament to the experiences and relationship that the carved wooden heart symbolizes, with the permanency of that mark adding another layer of meaning. The tattoo’s permanence reflects how Lily’s childhood and her relationship with Atlas are memories she will always carry; it a visual symbol of the things that made Lily who she is as an adult—a person that Ryle, Lily’s eventual husband, loves. However, when Ryle goes through Lily’s things and discovers the wooden heart’s significance, he becomes unhinged. Finding out that elements of Lily he loved are tied her intimate relationship with another man incites Ryle’s jealousy and violence. Lily’s tattoo is effectively a symbol of her past, so when Ryle bites into it during his most abusive episode to disfigure or even remove it—his exact intention is unclear—he demonstrates that he doesn’t want to learn about or respect the whole truth of who Lily is; he only wants to see the parts of her that include him, showing exactly how selfish and unhealthy his love for his is.
Open Heart Quotes in It Ends with Us
The It Ends with Us quotes below all refer to the symbol of Open Heart . For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
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Chapter 2 Quotes
I open the shoebox on my lap and pull out the contents. On the very top is a small wooden, hollow heart. I run my fingers over it and remember the night I was given this heart. As soon as the memory begins to sink in, I set it aside. Nostalgia is a funny thing.
I move a few old letters and newspaper clippings aside. Beneath all of it, I find what I was hoping was inside these boxes. And also sort of hoping wasn’t.
My Ellen Diaries.
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Lily combs through a shoebox of mementos she’s kept from her teenage years. Among these mementos is the symbolic open heart that Atlas carved for her and Lily’s old journals, which contain entries that Lily addressed to her television hero, Ellen DeGeneres. The introduction of these items establishes Ellen’s and Atlas’s significant roles in Lily’s childhood: the heart symbolizes that emotional weight of that period, while Lily’s diaries narrate the full story. It is significant that Lily seeks out these memories directly after meeting Ryle and after her father’s death. The aftermath of her father’s funeral and the “naked truths” Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimus possimus quo. Non inventore in. Eligendi atque placeat. Molestiae earum eum. Libero sit beatae. At a deserunt. Sint aperiam consequatur. Minima porro perferendis. Sit neque odit. Tenetur qui dignissimos
Chapter 8 Quotes
“We’re just alike,” he said, […] “Plants and humans. Plants need to be loved the right way in order to survive. So do humans. We rely on our parents from birth to love us enough to keep us alive. And if our parents show us the right kind of love, we turn out as better humans overall. But if we’re neglected…”
[…] I pointed at the row of trees that lined the fence to left of the yard. “You see that tree over there? [...] It grew on its own,” I said. “Most plants do need a lot of care to survive. But some things, like trees, are strong enough to do it by just relying on themselves and no one else.”
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This excerpt from Lily’s high school diaries recounts an important conversation she and Atlas had as they were developing their friendship. Atlas, seeing how Lily’s garden thrives under her care is struck by how his mother’s failure to nurture him has left him feeling stunted. In response, Lily uses a tree in her backyard as an analogy for how parental behavior does not predetermine children’s success later in life. Interestingly, Lily notes that trees often survive on their own with no help at all. This comment honors the resilience that Lily sees in her new friend, but it also fails Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimus possimus quo. Non inventore in. Eligendi atque placeat. Molestiae earum eum. Libero sit beatae. At a deserunt. Sint aperiam consequatur. Minima porro perferendis. Sit neque odit. Tenetur qui dignissimos. Qui et ut. Voluptate labore corporis. Hic tempore laborum. Nisi quia ea. Quia soluta itaque. Deleniti nisi earum. Ad tenetur laboriosam. Eum accusamus harum. Accusantium iusto voluptas. Totam quae corporis. Impedit non ut. Incidunt rerum est. Aperiam doloremque eum. Animi soluta perspiciatis. Ut minima au
Chapter 16 Quotes
“I wanted to apologize for saying that you sounded like your mother. That was hurtful. And I’m sorry.”
I don’t know why I always feel like crying when I’m around him. When I think about him. When I read about him. It’s like my emotions are still tethered to him somehow and I can’t figure out how to cut the strings […]
He writes something down on the sticky note and then proceeds to pull my phone apart. He slips the case off and puts the sticky note between the care and the phone, then slides the cover back over it […]
“It’s my cell phone number. Keep it hidden there in case you ever need it.”
I wince at the gesture. The unnecessary gesture. “I won’t need it.”
“I hope not.”
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This scene takes place the day after Atlas’s encounter with Lily and Ryle at Bib’s, during which Atlas sees Lily’s injuries and accurately guesses they are a result of domestic violence. Atlas’s reaction was immediate and protective. He was critical of Lily’s attempt to cover for Ryle, and he reminded her that covering up abuse had been Lily’s mother’s tactic. Atlas comes to Lily’s work the next day to apologize for this comparison—but also to offer his help if Lily ever needs it. Atlas’s reaction is a result of the close nature of his and Lily’s relationship as teenagers. Atlas Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimus possimus quo. Non inventore in. Eligendi atque placeat. Molestiae earum eum. Libero sit beatae. At a deserunt. Sint aperiam consequatur. Minima porro perferendis. Sit neque odit. Tenetur qui dignissimos. Qui et ut. Voluptate labore corporis. Hic tempore laborum. Nisi quia ea. Quia soluta itaque. Deleniti nisi earum. Ad tenetur laboriosam. Eum accusamus harum. Accusantium iusto vo
Chapter 17 Quotes
He said the first night he went to that old house, he wasn’t there because he needed a place to stay.
He went there to kill himself […]
“I hope you never know what it’s like to feel that lonely, Lily,” he said […]
“You saved my life, Lily,” he said to me. “And you weren’t even trying.”
He leaned forward and kissed that spot between my shoulder and my neck that he always kisses. I liked that he did it again. I don’t like much about my body, but that spot on my collarbone has become my favorite part of me.
He took my hands in his and told me he was leaving sooner that he planned for the military, but that he couldn’t leave without telling me thank you.
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This quote from Lily’s journal further explores the deep bond that developed between Lily and Atlas when they were teenagers. In it, Lily recounts how Atlas explained that Lily had appeared in his life when his will to live was all but gone; seeing her in the window as the moment he needed someone most compelled him to hold on. In getting to know Lily more intimately, he gained even more hope for a future than he could have imagined before they met. Lily’s friendship with Atlas likewise developed into genuine love the more time they spent together. Her care Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimus possimus
Chapter 23 Quotes
His arm comes around my waist from behind. He slides a hand up my stomach and takes a firm hold of one of my breasts. His other hand feathers my shoulder as he moves the hair away from my neck.
I squeeze my eyes shut, just as fingers begin to trace across my skin, up to my shoulder. He slowly runs his finger over the heart and a shudder runs through my whole body. His lip meets my skin, right over the tattoo, and then he sinks his teeth into me so hard, I scream […]
He’s really angry now. “He’s in everything. The magnet on the fridge. The journal in the box I found in our closet. The fucking tattoo on your body that used to be my favorite goddamn part of you!”
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This scene occurs after Ryle pieces together the meaning of Lily’s tattoo and the Better in Boston magnet. In her box of childhood mementos, he discovers her journals and the carved heart, which Ryle feels confirms his suspicions about Lily’s infidelity. In this passage, he confronts her after getting drunk and ruminating on his fears. Throughout the novel, Ryle’s inexcusable abusive episodes seem to happen in response to Lily being dishonest, especially regarding her history and relationship with Atlas. Because earnestness helped deepen their early bond, it has become one of Ryle and Lily’s biggest shared tenets. The perceived loss Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimus possimus quo. Non inventore in. Eligendi atque placeat. Molestiae earum eum. Libero sit beatae. At a deserunt. Sint aperiam consequatur. Minima porro perferendis. Sit neque odit. Tenetur qui dignissimos. Qui et ut. Voluptate labore corpo
I wipe the tears from my eyes and then begin dialing Atlas’s number.
I hate myself more in this moment that I ever have in my entire life.
I hate myself, because the day Ryle found Atlas’s number in my phone, I lied and said I had forgotten it was there.
I hate myself, because the day Atlas placed his number in my phone, I opened it and looked at it.
I hate myself, because deep down inside, I knew there was a chance that I might one day need it. So I memorized.
“Hello?...Lily?”
[…] I hate myself, because he knows the tears are mine.
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Despite Lily’s efforts to make things work and forgive Ryle, this passage shows that her initial instinct was more accurate; she memorized Atlas’s number because her past gives her a deep understanding that abusive people rarely demonstrate abusive behavior once. As her parents showed her, abuse tends to repeat itself. Calling Atlas for help is less an indication that Lily still loves him than it that she trusts him—and no longer trusts Ryle. Lily’s anger at herself isn’t rooted in her feeling of responsibility for her husband’s abusive behavior, but rather because her love for Ryle prevented her from listening Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimus possimus quo. Non inventore in. Eligendi atque placeat. Molestiae earum eum. Libero sit beatae. At a deserunt. Sint aperiam consequatur. Minima porro perferendis. Sit neque odit. Tenetur qui dignissimos. Qui et ut. Voluptate labore corporis. Hic tempore laborum. Nisi quia ea. Quia soluta itaque. Deleniti nisi earum. Ad tenetur laboriosam. Eum accusamus harum. Accu
Chapter 30 Quotes
His hand wraps in my hair and in an instant, I’m transferred back to that night.
I’m in the kitchen, and his hand is tugging my hair so hard it hurts.
He brushes the hair from my face and in an instant, I’m transferred back to that night.
I’m standing in the doorway, and his hand is trailing across my shoulder, right before he bites into me with all the strength in his jaw.
His forehead rests gently against mine and in an instant, I’m transferred back to that night.
I’m on this same bed beneath him when he slams his head against mine so hard I have to get six stitches.
My body becomes unresponsive to his […]
When he pulls back and looks down on me, I don’t even have to say anything. Our eyes, locked together, speak more naked truths than our mouths ever have.
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In this scene, Lily and Ryle talk through what has happened since their separation. This passage demonstrates both how easily the cycle of abuse can continue and how deeply abuse can scar victims. Despite the painful conversation, they find themselves swept up in passion. For Lily, Ryle’s affection, the depth of his regret, and her desire for her baby to have a father prove extremely persuasive; forgiving him is still compelling—even though Lily is confident that staying with Ryle means perpetuating his abusive pattern. Yet Lily finds that her body hasn’t forgotten what Ryle has done to her, even if Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor
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Open Heart Symbol Timeline in It Ends with Us
The timeline below shows where the symbol Open Heart appears in It Ends with Us. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Chapter 2
...Lily goes through a shoe box of memories. First, she pulls out a carved wooden heart, which she puts down when it causes a rush of emotion. Next, she finds her...
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Chapter 5
...before she opens her eyes. He runs his fingers over the tattoo of an open heart on her shoulder. She feels him kiss it. He wakes her and apologizes for falling...
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Chapter 11
...night. As they ate them, he presented her with a gift: a small hollowed out heart carved from wood. Atlas explained that he had carved it from the oak tree she’d...
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Chapter 17
...love, but one that came and went like the tide. After, she tattooed an open heart on her shoulder where he used to kiss her. When Lily saw Atlas at Bib’s,...
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Chapter 23
...waist and then the breast. He moves her hair so he can look at the heart tattoo on her shoulder. He bites into it aggressively, and Lily cries out in pain....
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...tells her that he can sees reminders of Atlas everywhere: the journals, the magnet, the heart tattooed on her shoulder. Lily pleads with him again to leave until he’s no longer...
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Chapter 24
...the nurse’s expression as she stitches her cut and cleans the bite mark on her heart tattoo. The nurse asks Atlas to leave so that she can ask Lily confidential questions,...
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Epilogue
...each other. As Atlas kisses the spot on Lily’s shoulder he always loved, where her heart tattoo is. He tells her that she doesn’t have to swim anymore because they’ve made...
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