In the section of his talk that I am focusing on he wonders if by reading and watching so many zombie narratives we are actually starting to prematurely think in an apocalyptic manner. He states that we are now living in a world where we have lost faith in civil society, the government, and our leaders to handle emergencies properly and argues that we are already living in an apocalyptic world because of this. By consuming so many stories about the inability of humans to adapt to a world where the living dead rise we actually start believing the analogy that humanity can't cope with any major biological or environmental threats.
At the end of his argument Drezner states that we need to appreciate our own abilities to adapt to different situations and re-assert order in our society, which most zombie narratives don't express. One text that doesn't fall into this category, and Drezner recognizes as such, is World War Z. In this book, although we are only half way through it as a class, it is clear that life is going on after the zombie apocalypse and that order has been restored in the world. It is not even seen as a zombie apocalypse but rather World War Z, just another war to add to the list.
Looking past the exception of World War Z, do you agree with Daniel Drezner's argument that zombie apocalypse novels and films lead us to underestimate humanity's ability to adapt and cope in times of immense struggle and change? Furthermore, does it matter?
Shows like Walking Dead definitely give a bleak outlook. I think it's realistic to think that there would be total chaos for awhile, probably some pretty crazy gangs and communities here and there, but there would probably be a few patches of people living (or attempting to live) in a civilized manner. That being said, it would probably be a long time before humanity made a full recovery.
ReplyDeleteThis is a really interesting topic, I had never really thought about the 'bleakness' in Zombie culture as a reflection for our lack of confidence in our government or humanity's overall ability to adapt.
ReplyDeleteFirst, I think humanity would adapt, absolutely, no question. That said, I do think that the Zombie/Apocalyptic/Survivor genre fundamentally questions what we really need or want, and on the flip-side, what is superflous.
One question is, do we have what it takes as a species to adapt to an apocalypse as framed by zombie parameters? I completely agree with Sturges insomuch as ultimate survival is concerned. Another question, perhaps more important, is how much of what we in Western, priveleged, civilized (prior two descriptors have implied quotation marks)societies have associated with our definitions of humanity will survive with our species? As I've said in previous remarks/posts, when the world changes, not only our approach externally to that world in a physical sense (learning to fight newly introduced predators, scavenge for goods, have fantastic social skills and the ability to be or appear useful, for some examples), but our internal approach changes. We would no longer be able to afford to have the same social structures, interpersonal exchanges, or morals. New religions would likely crop up, some dedicated to heroes from the Undead Wars, others to individuals who were able to define new ways of behavior that were acclimations to the post-apocalyptic human habitat. All this is to say that although, to our softened academic sensibilities, zombie and apocalyptic fiction in general can seem bleak, is it not a testament to our amazing, wondrous abilities as humans to think that far ahead? To plan for the worst so we can be thankful for what we do have at the moment?
ReplyDelete