Representation Of Zombies

Danger Word by Barnes and Due, Twenty-Three Snapshots of San Francisco by Seth Lindberg, and Warm Bodies by Isaac Marion all agree that zombies kill humans but the way in which zombies are portrayed differs. In Twenty-Three Snapshots of San Francisco zombies are essentially nothing but a murderous plague and the people kill them without much thought. Zombies seem to mark an apocalyptic event for these humans. In Danger Word zombies are even more deadly to humans than in Lindberg’s story because these zombies start out almost undetectable, can retain human motor systems, and can talk some. Barnes and Due suggest a new type of zombie; a zombie that can look human and lure actual humans in with memories and words. Grandpa Joe himself says humans cannot survive against intelligent zombies.

In Warm Bodies zombies are presented as ‘alive’ zombies. They have thought, R more than most. With these zombies there is even some form of hierarchy and social structure. New zombies are in early stages of decay and appear more human. Older zombies are basically bone. Some zombies remember pieces of their names, some can mumble words, some have a type of marriage, and they hunt in groups for safety essentially. Two important factors are that the zombies don’t really understand what is going on and can die. The need to eat is an intense feeling that basically forces the zombies to seek ‘food.’ Right away one can tell R still has some humanity and intelligence though he is a zombie eating humans. The change in zombies is a new idea presented by Marion. He writes that zombies can cure themselves. While the humans kill zombies, they are willing to help them change back by the end of the story.