Solnit, Rebecca: *1961

Hope in the Dark, 2004 - Thematic Parallels: Hope

Hope is a feeling that something good can happen in the future, even when circumstances are difficult.
Solnit, Rebecca: Hope in the Dark, 2004
The novel is a political and philosophical essay about the power of hope as a catalyst for social and political change.
The following books are thematically simliar. They lend themselves well to being read in groups, compared with one another, or used to teach a similar topic over an extended period with a class:
- Boyle, T.C.: The Tortilla Curtain, 1995, ~350pp
  This novel examines social and environmental issues, immigration, and the struggle for justice—subjects at the heart of “Hope in the Dark."
  - Both works emphasize how deeply embedded inequalities are—and how they shape people’s daily lives. Each highlights migration as a human, ethical, and political issue rather than an abstract policy debate. Both encourage readers to reconsider their responsibilities to others.
- Hosseini, Khaled: The Kite Runner, 2003, ~340pp
  The novel deals with personal redemption, hope, and the possibility of change in the aftermath of trauma and political turmoil.
  - Both texts connect political trauma to personal suffering, showing how historical forces infiltrate intimate relationships. They insist that wrongdoing or injustice does not have to be final—there is always room for repair, responsibility, and new beginnings. Both texts live in the space between darkness and light, refusing simple optimism but offering grounded, realistic hope.
- Miller, Sue: While I Was Gone, 1999, ~270pp
  This novel focuses on personal and social dynamics.
  - Both works frame uncertainty not as something to fear but as a space where transformation becomes possible. Both explore how humans locate meaning during turbulent or disorienting moments.The past is not static; it continually acts on the present.
- Shange, Ntozake: Betsey Brown, 1985, ~200pp
  This is a novel about identity and social issues.
  - Both works insist that uncertainty does not equal hopelessness—moments of instability can be openings for growth. People do not change alone; communities shape and sustain hope. Yet hope is not naïve optimism; it is a tool for navigating and changing difficult worlds.
List of general discussion questions on Hope (pdf)
List of essay prompts on Hope (pdf)