Resisting the Capitalocene: Narrative Representations of Hope across Genres

Abstract

This round table explored literary representations of hope as a key factor in acts of resistance against the effects of the Capitalocene (Moore 2015; 2016). Grounded in theories of precarity and vulnerability, the discussion examined how literature resists to the extractive and exploitative logics of capitalism that intensify precarity. Hope, often seen as a driving force for political and social change, was also problematized through concepts such as “cruel optimism” developed by Berlant (2011) and “radical hope” by Lear (2006). Analyzing poetry, graphic novels, novels, and drama, the panel investigated how hope is deployed ambivalently: as a vision for a better future, a nostalgic retreat, or a force that fosters intersectional agency and resistance. Key questions include whether literary hope enacts resistance, fosters activism, or reinforces dominant narratives. Ultimately, this discussion sought to assess hope’s role as an ethico-political and aesthetic tool in navigating the Capitalocene’s challenges.