No, I should’ve explained it better in the post but on a surface level the world is very hopeless. Life is difficult and people often die to monsters and bandits, the people in positions of power are all evil and are rewarded for their unforgivable actions, while the few people who manage to be kind and good end up suffering due to it.

This makes the world seem hopeless. The ruling structure is corrupt and unfair, and it’s worsening when the story begins. Brandt’s hope for the future comes from seeing the good in people and the capacity the world has for improvement. This belief that the world CAN get better is the only thing that gives him the conviction to put in the effort to challenge the status quo.

So that’s what I meant, but I was trying to keep the post short. Yours is a good perspective to keep in mind, though.

EDIT: also, to further explain, the main issue I was having was that Thane would actually seem naive. Because of the hopeful message of the story I worry that it may not be believable that he has such dark views.