Optimism is not just a trait; it's a skill that can be cultivated.
The only way to escape the system is to play with it, to manipulate it, to turn it against itself.
The victim should have the right to end his life, if he wants. But I think it would be a great mistake. However bad life may seem, there is always something you can do, and succeed at. While there's life, there is hope.
Memory is the way we keep telling ourselves our stories - and telling other people a somewhat different version of our stories.