DIPLOMARBEIT Titel der Diplomarbeit “From Threat to Pet – Shifting Representations of Zombies in Film, Video Games and Literature” Verfasserin Diána Huszár angestrebter akademischer Grad Magistra der Philosophie (Mag.phil.) Wien, 2012 Studienkennzahl lt. Studienblatt: A 343 Studienrichtung lt. Studienblatt: Diplomstudium Anglistik und Amerikanistik Betreuerin: Ao. Univ. - Prof. Mag. Dr. Eva Zettelmann 1 Table of Contents 1. Introduction .................................................................................................................................... 4 2. Origins ............................................................................................................................................. 6 2.1 Haiti ........................................................................................................................................... 6 2.2 20th century accounts ............................................................................................................... 7 3. Early development of the modern zombie ................................................................................... 10 4. What is a modern zombie? ........................................................................................................... 12 4.1 Revival ..................................................................................................................................... 13 4.1.1 First generation zombies ................................................................................................. 13 4.1.2 Second generation zombies ............................................................................................. 15 4.2 Attributes ................................................................................................................................ 15 4.2.1 Physical abilities ............................................................................................................... 16 4.2.2 Termination ..................................................................................................................... 17 5. The terror of the undead .............................................................................................................. 18 5.1 A personal threat .................................................................................................................... 18 5.2 A threat to loved ones ............................................................................................................ 19 5.3 A threat to society .................................................................................................................. 20 5.3.1 Zombies are the next plague ........................................................................................... 21 5.3.2 Social uprising .................................................................................................................. 22 5.4 Zombies as the Other.............................................................................................................. 24 6. Zombies - a mirror of society? ...................................................................................................... 25 6.1 The Great Depression and race anxiety: White Zombie ......................................................... 26 6.1.1 The Depression era .......................................................................................................... 26 6.1.2 Race anxiety ..................................................................................................................... 27 6.1.3 Character analysis ............................................................................................................ 28 6.2 Invasion of the home and country: Night of the Living Dead ................................................. 30 6.2.1 Vietnam War .................................................................................................................... 30 6.2.2 Invasion of the home ....................................................................................................... 31 6.2.3 Character analysis ............................................................................................................ 32 6.3 Consumer society and dwindling resources: Dawn of the Dead ............................................ 34 6.3.1 Consumer society ............................................................................................................ 35 6.3.2 Dwindling resources ........................................................................................................ 36 6.3.3 Character analysis ............................................................................................................ 36 6.4 Aging society and warfare - Return of the Living Dead .......................................................... 37 6.4.1 Aging society .................................................................................................................... 37 2 6.4.2 Warfare ............................................................................................................................ 39 6.4.3 Character analysis ............................................................................................................ 39 7. The evolution of the post-modern zombie in film ........................................................................ 40 7.1. Braindead ............................................................................................................................... 42 7.1.1 The zombies .................................................................................................................... 42 7.1.2 The humans ..................................................................................................................... 43 7.1.3 Social commentary .......................................................................................................... 44 7.1.4 Cutefication ...................................................................................................................... 45 7. 2 Shaun of the Dead ................................................................................................................. 47 7.2.1 The zombies ..................................................................................................................... 47 7.2.2 The humans ..................................................................................................................... 47 7. 2.3 Intertextual references ................................................................................................... 48 7. 2.4 Social commentary ......................................................................................................... 49 7.2.5 Cultural references .......................................................................................................... 50 7. 2.6 Cutefication ..................................................................................................................... 51 7. 3 Fido ........................................................................................................................................ 52 7. 3.1 The zombies .................................................................................................................... 52 7. 3.2 The humans..................................................................................................................... 53 7. 3.3 Social commentary ......................................................................................................... 54 7. 3.4 Cutefication ..................................................................................................................... 56 7. 4 Rigamortis .............................................................................................................................. 57 7. 4.1 Social commentary ......................................................................................................... 58 7. 4.2 The zombies .................................................................................................................... 59 7. 4.3 The humans..................................................................................................................... 60 7. 4.4 Cutefication ..................................................................................................................... 61 8. In video games .............................................................................................................................. 63 8.1 Zombies Ate my Neighbors ..................................................................................................... 64 8.1.1Gameplay .......................................................................................................................... 65 8.1.2 The humans ..................................................................................................................... 65 8.1.3 The zombies ..................................................................................................................... 66 8.1.4 Cutefication ...................................................................................................................... 67 8.2 Plants vs. Zombies................................................................................................................... 67 8.2.1 Gameplay ........................................................................................................................