| dc.description.abstract | Catastrophes and disasters have been discussed widely in literary scholarship. While novels dealing with the dark and disastrous may generally be thought of as grim reading, this thesis aims to prove that there one can find hope in even the direst of circumstances. A comparative study between two novels that take largely different approaches, yet contain several similarities, this thesis explores the numerous ways in which hope, optimism, and a positive outcome is portrayed in the two narratives and through the different protagonists. One novel speculates on the outcome of a global pandemic and the collapse of our society, while the other looks back to World War II and the struggles and fears people had to live through. Through a close-reading of the two novels, this thesis looks into the genres of speculative fiction and historical fiction, exploring the symbolism contained in the narratives, and ultimately argues that there is hope, there is beauty, and that the two chosen primary sources may teach us something about what it means to be human. | |
