History Main / CradleOfLoneliness

* In ''Literature/EvidenceOfThingsNotSeen'', Tara sleeps curled around [[spoiler:her murdered father's cremated ashes]].

* [[https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=CjnBI7TqOUY&t=1150s A fanmade audiodrama]] for ''TabletopGame/Warhammer40000'' starts off with a Blood Angels Space Marine breaking down in tears at the sight of the destruction of his beloved [[AwesomePersonellCarrier Land Raider IFV]], whose Machine-Spirit he had bonded with. So deep is his grief that he hugs "her" with all his strength, and it is treated with all the gravity of finding a loved one StuffedInTheFridge.

* In the ''Webcomic/{{Erfworld}}'' prequel that details Wanda's backstory, after [[spoiler:Wanda's brother Tommy is poisoned and killed by a woman he loved, Wanda manages to [[AnimateDead animate his body]], but despite it being the best work she's done in raising the dead, she realizes that the animated dead isn't the brother that she loved, and never will be. Her first order to it is for Un-Tommy to hold her while she cries]].

* In ''Fanfic/APrizeForThreeEmpires'', ComicBook/CarolDanvers visits her friend Mar-Vell's grave and embraces the memorial stone, crying because of her inability to save him.

* ComicBook/SpiderMan'': The cover for ''ComicBook/SpiderManReign'' #1 had Spider-Man hugging Mary Jane's tombstone.

* ''ComicBook/{{Daredevil}}'': When Elektra died, Daredevil was shown cradling her tombstone on a cover.

* ''ComicBook/SpiderManReign'': A cover had Franchise/SpiderMan hugging Mary Jane's tombstone.

Sometimes part of a SadTimesMontage or overlaps with a LostLoveMontage, and is likely to be done by a HurtingHero or HeartbrokenBadass. If a specific item is being held, it may be a TragicKeepsake, especially if it came from someone whose death was a CynicismCatalyst.

* Subverted with the "boyfriend pillow" on ''Series/{{Glee}}''. Also a case of AluminumChristmasTrees, as the boyfriend pillow is a real item you can order.

* In the ''WesternAnimation/DuckTales1987'' episode "[[Recap/DuckTalesS1E53HeroforHire Hero for Hire]]", after the police recover the Webbed Wonder suit from the bay, seemingly confirming that Launchpad was killed, Scrooge hugs it as he cries.

* ''WesternAnimation/SpongebobSquarepants'' plays this for laughs in the episode ''Clams'' when Mr. Krab's millionth dollar gets eaten by a giant clam. There is a cutaway where Mr. Krabs is dressed as a mourning widow and hugging a tombstone representing his millionth dollar.

%%* ''Literature/NorwegianWood'' book takes this trope UpToEleven, Naoko is still in sorrow even years after Kizuki's death, and later [[spoiler: Toru, after Naoko's death.]]

[[folder:Film]]

* ''WesternAnimation/AnExtremelyGoofyMovie'': After Max leaves for college, Goofy goes into his now-vacant room and coddles the stuffed bear he left behind.

* ''WesternAnimation/TheLionKing1994'': When Simba discovers Mufasa's body after the stampede, [[PleaseWakeUp he tries to wake him up]], before [[TearJerker/TheLionKing1994 resting himself under his paw as he did towards the beginning.]]

* ''Film/TheBlackStork'': After Leffingwell Jr. leaves home, his mother sleeps holding a pair of his old crutches.

* PlayedForLaughs in ''Manga/AsteroidInLove''. In the beginning of twenty-second chapter, adapted in the seventh episode, Mai is found holding onto Mikage's belongings in this position while going OcularGushers, still under the [[HeroicBSOD shock]] of [[spoiler:being named as the club president]].

* ''Series/SonsOfAnarchy'' when Jax finds the Tara murdered on the floor, he breaks down, cradling her, apologizing for the violence he brought into her life. He is still holding her and sobbing when the police and the DA arrive.

* ''Anime/PuellaMagiMadokaMagica'': Homura holds Madoka's ribbon this way [[spoiler:after the latter's [[AbstractApotheosis ascension into cosmic law]]]]. [[WildMassGuessing No one knows what happened to the other ribbon.]]
--> [[TearJerker "Madoka... Madoka..."]]

* When Elektra died, ComicBook/{{Daredevil}} was shown cradling her tombstone on a cover.
* ''ComicBook/RobinSeries'': After a particularly bad night in which he ended up getting to some hostages too late to save a man from being murdered right in front of his daughter and was then badly injured in a fight later on, Tim stumbled to his parents' joint headstone and clung to it briefly while lamenting his failure. Batman showed up to take him home out of the rain almost immediately.
* A cover from ''ComicBook/SpiderManReign'' had Franchise/SpiderMan hugging Mary Jane's tombstone.

* [[https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=CjnBI7TqOUY&t=1150s A fanmade audiodrama]] for ''TabletopGame/Warhammer40000'' starts off with a Blood Angels Space Marine breaking down in tears at the sight of the destruction of his beloved [[AwesomePersonellCarrier Land Raider IFV]], whose Machine-Spirit he had bonded with. So deep is his greif that he hugs "her" with all his strength, and it is treated with all the gravity of finding a loved one StuffedInTheFridge.