History TearJerker / It

* Stan's suicide in his introduction hurts after a chapter describing his loving marriage to his wife and his quiet self-confidence and how likable he comes off as. It gets HarsherInHindsight as you read through the entire book, spending more time with Stan as a child and seeing the close, easy friendship he had with the other Losers, and knowing he's destined to kill himself in utter terror of facing IT again. Only a chapter or so after Stan kills himself, Bill remembers how Stan was the one who cut their palms for the BloodOath and when Stan mimes cutting his wrists (as he would as an adult), for a moment Bill thinks he's really going to do it and is about to stop him. As this memory isn't from Stan's point of view, it's possible that after hitting his breaking point Stan ''really did'' mean to kill himself then as a child in front of his best friends, before he caught himself. Imagining what could've happened if [[ForWantOfANail his friends had been present to talk Stan down from his suicide, and how much stronger they would've been against IT,]] becomes a real Tearjerker - especially if it might've even been enough to save Eddie...

** It's mentioned that the Raytheon decided to change the location of the plant it was going to build in Derry in the aftermath of the storm, effectively killing the town since the plant was Derry's last hope of revitalize itself. Mike mentions in his journal entries that Derry and all its scandals are dead and the only thing that would remember them was his journal, which he would probably put away and never look at again after he leaves the hospital.

** In the same way, the murder of Mike's dog by Henry is also heartwrenching. Henry regularly pets and feeds the dog several days before to get it used to his presence, and then one day he leads the dog away and gives it poisoned meat, before attaching it to a tree to prevent it from going back home. and then during the painful agony of the dog, Henry cruelly makes fun of it and gives it very racist nicknames...all the while the dog gently wags its tail.

* The destruction of Derry by the storm during the final confrontation between the Loser's Club and It. For all its awfulness, all its manipulation by It, the reader will grow attached to the town and its lovingly-written descriptions. And to see it systematically destroyed- the water tower, the standpipe, the library tunnel- combined with the deaths of the constable and many other minor characters, leads to an absolutely wrenching sequence.

** A teacher who noticed the physical abuse early eventually retires from the school and later tells people that she wanted to do something but was ordered by the principle to stay out of it. She admits that if she still worked at the school, she wouldn't be talking about it. The amount of apathy towards the safety of children in Derry is horrific, and even obvious cases are ignored.

* For anyone who has ever known the feeling of falling out of touch with close childhood friends, the ending takes that UpToEleven when the protagonists, having defeated It and returned to their homes, begin to forget one another. Especially Mike's last lines in his journal as he feels it all slipping away, and has resigned himself to it.

** We are lead to believe that It has an incredible evil influence on the people of Derry, but never to what extent. During the trial Eddie's father says that he has no idea why he killed his youngest son. He just picked up a hammer and started hitting him and didn't stop, even when poor Dorsey was sobbing and apologizing, saying he loved his father. The reality is that, even if he was or would have been an abusive father regardless, It almost certainly had a lot to do with his actions. But even if It was ''entirely'' at fault for what other people did, that doesn't change the fact that a man beat his child to death with a hammer.

*** We are lead to believe that It has an incredible evil influence on the people of Derry, but never to what extent. During the trial Eddie's father says that he has no idea why he killed his youngest son. He just picked up a hammer and started hitting him and didn't stop, even when poor Dorsey was sobbing and apologizing, saying he loved his father. The reality is that, even if he was or would have been an abusive father regardless, It almost certainly had a lot to do with his actions. But even if It was ''entirely'' at fault for what other people did, that doesn't change the fact that a man beat his child to death with a hammer.

*** That is probably because he ran away from home and no one knew where he was. His parents did love him and Dorsey. His father admitted during this during the trial and Eddie's mother did shout out to his father after Eddie was unconscious on the floor that she will rush him to the hospital, but just took him to bed instead, because his father yelled back and advised against it because he did not want them going to prison.

** Really, Bill's entire childhood is ripped away after Georgie dies. His parents barely acknowledge him, don't physically spend time with him, barely interact with each other and there is no mention at any point of them comforting their older son about the death of his little brother. This family is irrevocably broken, and it's so bad that Bill starts to believe it's his fault that Georgie is dead. He breaks down in tears when he and Ritchie are alone, sobbing that he didn't want Georgie to die and that he thinks Georgie's ghost is haunting him because he hates him. In a more heartwarming way, Ritchie is shocked but able to bring Bill around and tells him that of course he didn't want Georgie dead and that Georgie would know that and even gives Bill a hug. But the fact that another child had to comfort a grieving Bill instead of his parents is just that much sadder.

* The last confrontation between Mike and Henry. Henry's been It's fall guy for the '58 murders, and It's been whispering in his ears since he was a kid. He's hopelessly insane after years of guilt, abuse, and fear, emotionally and mentally stalled at twelve years old forever. Mike trying to talk him down is the closest thing to genuine fatherly concern that Henry ever got. Doubles as a SugarWiki/MomentOfAwesome for Mike for pretty much that entire frockin' chapter.
* The destruction of Derry by the Storm during the final confrontation between the Loser's Club and It. For all its awfulness, all its manipulation by It, the reader will grow attached to the Town and its lovingly-written descriptions. And to see it systematically destroyed- the Water Tower, the Standpipe, the library tunnel- combined with the deaths of the constable and many other minor characters, leads to an absolutely wrenching sequence.

** In the same way, the murder of Mike's dog by Henry is also heartwrenching. Henry regularly pets and feeds the dog several days before to get it used to his presence, and then one day he leads the dog away and give it poisoned meat, before attaching it to a tree to prevent it from going back home. and then during the painful agony of the dog, Henry cruelly makes fun of it and gives it very racist nicknames...while the dog gently wags its tail.

* Georgie, in both the book and movie. It helps that Jonathan Brandis absolutely nailed the role of Georgie's grieving brother, Bill, and was very convincing in all of his scenes, but the bit that brings on the waterworks is when he rallies the other kids to help him. The line delivery for ''"Help me. Please help me. That thing killed my little brother. Help me,"'' was what really did it.

* All of the Turtle's lines in the book. It begs Bill not to blame it for creating their universe, imagine the depths of DespairEventHorizon you would have to sink to think like that. That an act of creation, either literal or metaphorical is unclear, would make you think that the sentients from that creation would spite you for being responsible for making them exist. It implies that its lost any notion that life is beautiful and that everything is only pain and existing is a curse.

* For animal lovers, the discussion of Patrick Hockstetter's activities with that refrigerator. (sniffle) Poor puppy.
** In the same way, the murder of Mike's dog by Henry is also heartwrenching. Henry regularly pets and feeds the dog several days before to get it used to his presence, and then one day he leads the dog away and give it poisoned meat, before attaching it to a tree to prevent it from going back home. and then during the painful agony of the dog, Henry cruelly makes fun of it and gives it very racist nicknames...while the dog gently wags its tail.... Urrrrgh.
* The last phone conversation between Mike and Richie. They say they will keep in touch, but they know they will eventually forget. Not in a few monthes or a few weeks, but in just a few days.

* The last confrontation between Mike and Henry. Henry's been It's fall guy for the '58 murders, and It's been whispering in his ears since he was a kid. He's hopelessly insane after years of guilt, abuse, and fear, emotionally and mentally stalled at twelve years old forever. Mike trying to talk him down is the closest thing to genuine fatherly concern that Henry ever got. Doubles as a CrowningMomentOfAwesome for Mike for pretty much that entire frockin' chapter.

* [[spoiler:Eddie Corcoran's]] death in the book. Also, his little brother [[TheWoobie Dorsey]]: "Daddy had to [[AbusiveParents take me up]] 'cause I'm bad."
** The worst part of [[spoiler:Eddie Corcoran's]] death is that no one even knew he'd died. His body was never found. His mother didn't declare him dead until almost a decade after he disappeared. The reason she did that was to collect the money in his bank account... all ''sixteen dollars'' of it.

** In the same way, the murder of Mike's dog by Henry is also heartwrenching. [[spoiler:Henry regularly pets and feeds the dog several days before to get it used to his presence, and then one day he leads the dog apart and give it poisoned meat, before attaching it to a tree to prevent it from going back home.]] and then [[spoiler: during the painful agony of the dog, Henry cruelly makes fun of it and gives it very racist nicknames...while the dog gently wags its tail....]] Urrrrgh

* Stan's suicide in his introduction hurts after a chapter describing his loving marriage to his wife and his quiet self-confidence and how likable he comes off as. It gets HarsherInHindsight as you read through the entire book, spending more time with Stan as a child and seeing the close, easy friendship he had with the other Losers, and knowing he's destined to kill himself in utter terror of facing IT again. Only a chapter or so after Stan kills himself, Bill remembers how Stan was the one who cut their palms for the BloodOath and when Stan mimes cutting his wrists (as he would as an adult), for a moment Bill thinks he's really going to do it and is about to stop him. As this memory isn't from Stan's point of view, it's possible that after hitting his breaking point Stan ''really did'' mean to kill himself then as a child in front of his best friends, before he caught himself. Imagining what could've happened if [[ForWantOfANail his friends had been present to talk Stan down from his suicide, and how much stronger they would've been against IT,]] becomes a real Tearjerker - especially if it might've even been enough to [[spoiler:save Eddie]]...