Model Zombie Synthesis Essay
A zombie apocalypse is an event spoken of in stories and films throughout the ages, such
as the 1985 film Day of the Dead, or the more recent movie World War Z, or the increasingly
popular television series, The Walking Dead. Though these fictional outbreaks are often spoken
about, we seldom stop to contemplate what the most important matters to consider are if such an
event were actually to occur. In the event of a zombie apocalypse, the key issues to consider are
individualism vs. communitarianism, moral boundaries, and communication barriers.
Though the United States may put emphasis on the idea of the individual and thrive on being independent from others, when it comes to facing a grotesque, ruthless threat, these once self-reliant people must work together with others to ensure their survival. Individualism places the burden of taking care of oneself when faced with hundreds, possibly thousands of unrelenting zombies singlehandedly. America has had a long history with combating against the oppressive religious restrictions placed upon them by England before America had become the country we live in today. This implemented the ideals that people “can reach their full potential unfettered by the overreaching government or the constraints of traditional societal norm” (Source B). By implying that a person can only reach their full potential through solely depending on themselves, the importance of working together to support each other in dire situations is diminished. The “every man for himself” mentality causes humans to become narcissistic and apathetic to the needs of those around them. In contrast, communitarianism allows individuals to band together to address the needs of the community in a time of fear. The unknown is perhaps one of the most terrifying concepts to a person; It is critical for them to rely on others to educate them about the threat ahead. Turning to “government officials, local emergency and transportation representatives” who have acquired the most knowledge about the zombie apocalypse and offer “access [to] food, shelter, clothing, and emotional support,” could mean the
difference between getting mercilessly assaulted by a zombie or embracing others who have
suffered through these bleak conditions while in a secure shelter (Source D). Another person you
befriend is another person who will fend off a zombie to allow you to escape its crushing jaws,
merely inches away from sinking into flesh and converting another human into its kind.
America’s pride in its individualistic ideals coming together to form a diverse community of
people that can unite for the sake of humanity is something that should be carried over to
disastrous situations; It is necessary to promote not only the idea of individualism, but also the
unification of the nation over the selfish needs of the individual.
In zombie films we often see the protagonists slaying the undead without a second
thought, with no hint of thinking about who they were before. We see an example in the movie,
World War Z, when Brad Pitt shoots down the infected without a twinge of remorse. However, if
such a terrible event like this were to happen, would we be able to do the same? “Do we have an
obligation to terminate them out of a respect for their past identity?” (Source C). The undead are
supposedly ravenous killing machines, but they were also once normal people with real lives and
real emotions. The undead could also be people we know and love. Though one should consider
the moral boundaries in which it is right to kill a zombie, letting emotions get in the way could
limit your survival and the survival of those you hold dear. Perhaps there is a point in the disease
where it is acceptable to kill zombies. “When is it appropriate to say someone is as good as dead,
which is an awful, difficult decision?” (Source A). Perhaps the right stage when it is just to kill a zombie, is the stage when they are trying to kill you, therefore killing is an act of self-protection.
In the event of required self-defense, we should keep our emotional limitations in check so as to keep us and our loved ones safe. In the event of a zombie apocalypse, communication or the lack thereof should definitely be a concern that people should prepare for. Source A states that eventually the power and phone lines would be cut and you would be out of power and landline phones. Without power, you wouldn’t be able to turn on your TV to see the latest news about the outbreak or what authorities want you to do. In addition to TVs, no power means that without a battery, radios, computers, and other forms of communication will be difficult, or in some cases, impossible to use. At the same time, if you don’t have a cell phone or “digital traffic is heavy.”(Source A). You will not be able to communicate with your loved ones or other people that you may need to get in touch with. Because the government would need to take care of the chaos that would immerse from this type of event, they would need the ability to communicate with you one way or another. The government's plan for the care of senior citizens during a disaster includes “communicating the risk to older adults” (Source E). This sounds great on paper, but in reality, trying to communicate with mass amounts of people while power and phone lines are cut would appear to be pretty ineffective. If people are not prepared for the loss of power and the effect it has on communication, they may not get the critical message from the government and could be overrun by zombies in their home. You should be prepared by having backup power such as a variety of batteries or even an electrical generator, as long as you can use the power to keep necessary communication.
Stories of a zombie apocalypse have been told for generations, and have become popular in the film industry, and everyday life. People dress up as zombies for Halloween, we have seen them on t-shirts, and they are often featured in video games and some TV shows are based entirely around the idea of zombies. However, not many of us would actually stop to think about what we would do, and what we would need to consider if such a terrible event were to actually take place. In the event of a zombie apocalypse, the key issues to consider is whether or not you should fend for yourself or survive as a group, your moral boundaries and limitations when faced with difficult and life threatening decisions, and how you will communicate in a time of disaster.