Reflections on "Hope is the Thing"

A WHILE AGO, when this reviewer was admiring how the local school kids dressed up for the Children's Book Week (August 17-23), one famous quote came to mind: “Keep a little fire burning; however small, however hidden.”

While it may or may not come from American author Cormac McCarthy's 2006 novel The Road, the quote itself is about hope. Many of us learned about the idea(l) of hope from the mythical tale of Pandora's Box.

The “box”, as lauded by ancient Greek poet Hesiod, was actually a large jar or urn. There're also alternative accounts regarding who opened the container, as well as its actual content.

According to one Renaissance engraving by Italian artist Giulio Bonasone, the real culprit is Epinetheus, husband of Pandora. As he opens the jar, various virtues rise up, including security, harmony, fairness, mercy, freedom, happiness, peace, worth, and joy. Only hope remains.

So, if the jar releases evils that set out to torment humanity, as the story is commonly told, then why was hope among them at the start? Alternatively, if the jar holds blessings, as depicted by Bonasone, then why did hope stay back when the other virtues descended upon our world?

Either way, the real question is: Is hope preserved in the jar for the sake of humanity, or is it withheld from human existence in the first place? It is worth a thought.

In American author Jack Du Brul's 2001 techno-thriller Pandora's Curse, the protagonist Philip Mercer finds himself in mortal danger and reminisces bitterly:

“Hasn't anyone ever wondered why hope was in [Pandora's jar] to begin with? Why was it in there with disease and hate and lust? Because hope's as destructive as any of those, maybe worse. It was never meant to be a gift from the gods. It was punishment. Hope gives you strengths when you have a chance. When the situation's impossible, it becomes a torture.”

These words are so impressive that this reviewer often feels cynical when reading American poet Emily Dickinson's famous lyrics:

“Hope” is the thing with feathers / That perches in the soul / And sings the tune without the words / And never stops - at all -

Like Pandora's jar, Dickinson's poem has inspired different authors in different ways. For example, in English author Max Porter's 2015 novel Grief is the Thing with Feathers, a grieving widower and his young sons are able to reconcile with death and loss thanks to a visiting crow. In American author Haley Hudson's 2022 novel Hope is the Thing with Features, a Jewish girl manages to find her way in Germany in the darkest of times.

In their 2023 illustrated children's book Hope is the Thing, Australian author Johanna Bell and illustrator Erica Wagner recall the devastation they felt after bushfires ravaged much of Australia's east coast in 2019: “Horrified by the impact the fires had on the wild places we love, we wanted to create a work that speaks to the many ways hope presents in the world.”

The artists continue: “For us, hope isn't just an eagle soaring in a cloudless sky. It's also the ibis raiding bins. The girl in this book pays close attention to birds and uses her observations to create an imagined world filled with art and hope. This little girl is us and we also hope she is you!”

This is a gorgeous book, full of uplifting words and gentle illustrations of some of Australia's most beautiful and beloved birds.

The mixed media collages are a way to reflect and celebrate diversity, comprising bits and pieces of old artwork, painted and coloured paper, monoprints, and even fragments of vintage books.

As the artists point out, hope is the thing “with feathers and wings” and can be found in the most ordinary and unusual places. “Hope is the seed in the palm of your hand. Hope is a footprint found in the sand.” The message of rebirth and renewal is all around us. Life will always find a way to survive and thrive.

So, while watching the kids in their colourful costumes – as Darth Vader played football with a bunch of dinosaurs, as Harry and Hermione walked their dog, and as Wednesday Addams greeted Batman in the playground – this reviewer was once again full of hope. As long as our younger generations keep reading, that little fire will surely burn bright and brave.