Within the genres of science fiction as well as in poetry and drama, scenarios of dystopic presentations are frequently reversed to reveal a more hopeful denouement. The focus of this year’s convention is Resilience which is identified on the NeMLA website as “an anchor term for critical and creative work that explores how we bear up under trauma,” amongst other critical issues in the world. Literature has been utilized as a means of explaining difficult issues and often works through a myriad of complications, revealing resilience as well as offering a glimmer of hope.  How do these writers achieve their encouraging shift from sometimes desolation and seeming hopelessness to a more hopeful viewpoint? Are there parallel constructs? What does the verbiage in each situation reveal? Consider the possible parallelisms. Hopefully, this panel, focused on close reading, will provide scholars an opportunity to examine possibilities of hope through a variety of literature.  

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