Hope In The Dark: The Untold History of People Power

What is Solnit’s stance on populist and grassroots movements? How does her attitude compare to the understanding of these terms in today’s liberal media?

How would you describe Solnit’s vision of a dark future? What promises does it hold? Why might some people resist this vision?

Why does the fight against climate change require hope in the dark?

How does Solnit’s Angel of Alternate History compare to Walter Benjamin’s original Angel of History? Why do you think she updated Benjamin’s model?

How does Solnit present the relationship between the center and the margins? How does the trajectory of social change work within this relationship?

Why does Solnit find visions of utopia and paradise unhelpful to activism? Why might activists who aim for such perfection despair and give up?

How does Solnit portray the relationship between hope and despair? Why does despair paradoxically feel safer than hope?

How would you describe Solnit’s stance on ideology? To what end does she suggest that activists share common beliefs and goals to achieve a better world?