How does the theme of hope surface within Chapter 17?

The scene on the public bus in Chapter 17 is a poignant one, particularly since the bus driver shows no sign of changing his mind, or even his ways, necessarily. Nevertheless, Amal sees promise in the old woman's gesture of support in asking the driver to turn down his noisy "nonsense" (161) when he is blasting sensationalistic news reports about Muslims. Amal smiles at the woman and tells the reader, "Sometimes it's easy to lose faith in people. And sometimes one act of kindness is all it takes to give you hope again" (161).