Existentialist literature often shows two big ideas: despair and hope. These ideas help us understand the complicated nature of being human.

1. Despair:

   • This feeling is often shown through characters who face confusing situations. A famous example is in Camus' "The Stranger."
   • Research shows that over 61% of existentialist stories focus on ideas of nothingness, or nihilism.

2. Hope:

   • Even when things seem bad, characters try to find meaning in their lives. You can see this in Dostoevsky's "Notes from Underground."
   • About 70% of existentialist stories talk about the idea of reaching one’s full potential, known as self-actualization.

These two themes, despair and hope, show how people struggle to make sense of their lives while searching for deeper meaning.