The Walking Dead

There was a particular part that I want to talk about, and it's the last part of the graphic novel, beginning with when Shane punches Rick. It's when you finally get to see all the pent up energy and emotions from all the characters present themselves. Shane's face when Lori calls him a "fucking lunatic" is heart wrenching. Instead of getting angry, Shane is heartbroken and shocked, and this makes it feel so real to the reader and it made me feel honestly bad for Shane, despite Shane's bad attitude towards Rick. I compare this compassionate feeling I have towards the characters in the graphic novel to the video game, and there's such a large difference. In the video game I have no feelings for any of the characters. Everyone just gets angry at each other in the video game, and it's very graphic in an almost stomach-churning way... I didn't feel any emotional attachment to the story.

The Walking Dead

For my final essay I will be discussing how The Walking Dead has become a staple for zombie tv shows and how it has developed into such a big franchise. By analyzing the video game, comic book, and the tv show I plan on describing what made The Walking Dead so popular and what about it makes it such a compelling and thought provoking program. Instead of simply focusing on the gore and the grotesque I will explore the psychological and mental aspect of the show and how it describes what can happen to people's emotional well-being after a major apocalypse occurs. Lastly, I want to also look into the differences between the comic book and the tv show and hypothesize why the tv show decide to add/exclude certain key characters and what it did to not stray away too much from the comic. I also want to examine what makes the zombie genre as a whole so popular.

Essay 4 Topic

For my final essay I will be writing about the first prompt. I find it very interesting how the Walking Dead has grasped such a large following and I think one of the primary reasons for this is because it has a presence in so many mediums. For instance it originally was a comic book series, but then it evolved into a television series, which also sparked the production of it being turned into a video game. I also want to explore why this zombie franchise in specific has been so successful and what sets it apart from other zombie franchises. It will also be beneficial to note the differences between the tv show and the comics because I would want to highlight how this franchise is so dynamic and viewed through so many different lights. Lastly I will also be talking about the "Talking Dead" which is a television series of its own that follows the show and provides another outlet for viewers who enjoy the show to closely follow it.

Fourth Essay Idea

For my fourth essay, I plan on exploring the second prompt about our ability or inability to define a particular zombie genre.  I will research the different types of prominent zombie texts, and compare and contrast their qualities.  I will analyze what zombies stand for in particular texts and mediums such as The Walking Dead, Zombieland, and Day of The Dead, just to name a few.  I am open to suggestions on what zombie oriented mediums and texts would be most interesting to write about.  I will also research the origin of the notion of zombies, and how this has developed over time.  I will discuss what zombies do or do not stand for, and if there is a common theme throughout the texts that emphasize what zombies symbolize.

Zombie Essay

For my final essay, I will be writing about the zombie genre. This mainly consists of a comparison between receptions to different portrayals of the creatures. I will attempt to explore whether there is a perfect recipe for a representation of them that maximizes positive feedback. I'm not entirely sure which sources I will be using at this point, but I will certainly be incorporating content from all popular mediums of storytelling.

Fourth Essay

For the fourth essay, I will be writing about the common streak that is shared by different conceptions of the zombie genre.  After doing some sufficient research, I plan on comparing and contrasting the characteristics they hold, digging deeper behind the meaning of their commonalities and differences.  I would also really like to find out the root behind all these stories.  What kinds of fear and crises drive the existence of the zombie genre.  I want to see how the zombie genre has evolved and remained static at the same time.  I am looking forward to writing this essay and learning about zombies and all their glory.

12/09/2014 Ian Crowley

For my final essay I will be comparing various movies, television shows, video games and comics that exist within the zombie genre. Specifically I will discuss how the zombies and human characters are portrayed in each type of media. I will analyze the weak points and the strong points of each type of media and their portrayal of a zombie apocalypse. Furthermore, I plan to explain what makes some shows, movies, video games, etc. better and more successful than others. Some media from the zombie genre that I will be discussing in my essay may include, The Walking Dead series, Shaun of the Dead, Zombieland, and I am Legend. I may also try to include an analysis of what the zombie genre represents and explain what makes it a significant form of expression in our contemporary society.

Final Essay

For my final essay, I will be talking about the different portrayal of zombies in different types of zombie films, ranging from the common apocalyptic nature as shown in the Walking Dead, to the comical Zombie films like Zombieland, and possibly other genres like zomcom. Through this analysis, I plan on delving into what the portrayal of zombies represents in relation to past movements, as well as what the zombies allegorically stand for and also how non-infected people react to these different waves of zombies. After writing about these differences, I plan on writing about the connection to the apocalypse, as well as any other ways that zombies can be represented and what those representations say about the way zombies influence societal thoughts, specifically in reference to different mediums being television, movies, and graphic novels. 

Final Essay Topic

For my final essay, I will be writing on the allegorical nature of Zombies, including the prevalence of zombie media in modern culture, and the variety seen in the genre of zombies. I will be focusing on the early origins of zombies, stemming from myths long ago and moving towards talking about what zombies signify to me and our current culture. I think that zombies can represent a multitude of things from consumerism, to terrorism, to environmental destruction and I will be focusing on how the vast variety of zombie films, tv shows, books, etc. convey these different allegories in our modern society. I will also discuss why exactly the zombie genre has become so popular, and how its prevalence is so telling of our current culture. I will use examples from Night of the Living Dead, to the Walking Dead, to funnier movies like Zombieland and Shaun of the Dead, as well as exploring other media like the book World War Z and the graphic novel the Walking Dead.

12/09/14 Cristal Kim

For my final essay, I will be discussing the zombie genre and the evolving culture that surrounds it. Specifically, the first part of the essay will discuss the portrayal in TV shows and movies, and how they define the zombie genre. I will compare these two mediums and how they choose to portray zombies, citing the differences and similarities their characters each possess. What these interpretations of the zombie apocalypse stand for before moving onto the changes zombie culture has experienced. From terrifying monsters as illustrated in old-school horror films, to background characters in The Walking Dead, and finally to actual beings like in Warm Bodies. 

Zombie Essay

I will be answering the third prompt for my final essay on zombies. First, I will attempt to define the “zombie” genre, although accomplishing this goal is difficult, because at the basis of the genre is a myth. This myth has changed throughout the 20^th and 21^st century, and zombie works differ considerably with the portrayal of zombies. Furthermore, I will address what makes the zombie genre so prevalent in society. I will bring up the use of zombies as a reaction to war and societal disasters such as 9/11, a reaction to consumerism, and a portrayal of the feelings of hopelessness that are present in society. I also find it interesting how humans have a very strong relationship to zombies, because they are us. We see characteristics of zombies in ourselves, and this increases the public’s interest in zombies even more.

Zombie Essay

My plan for my essay is to draw similarities between zombie apocalypses and general catastrophes. I want to look at certain elements that are present in any disaster and see if they can correlate to zombie apocalypses. For instance, both include the need for individuals in society to confront dangerous situations and to find a particular solution for the problem at hand. Also, I want to analyze the similarities with the adoption of unconventional roles in both disasters, such as with children having to grow up fast and assimilate into a world that forces them to grow up, or with women having to adopt roles that force them to use weaponry or force. I don't know; I'm very excited to see what type of sources I can come up. I want to construct a comparative analysis with movies, books, and historical events, especially like with wars, which showed women having to fight in battles or assume their husband's occupation when he was at war, or evidence of young men having to fight in war at such a young age. It'll be interesting to see what I can use as sources.

Plans for Final Essay

For my final essay, I plan on writing about the allegorical significance of zombies. I think this is a really interesting topic that many people overlook since zombies are so prevalent in mainstream media through movies, TV shows, books, video games, etc.. I believe zombies are intended to represent the lack of humanity associated with the human body. Although the eyes, nose, mouth, etc. of a person play a part in determining their humanity, they do not signify who a person is. It is people's internal aspects that make them human, and zombies are so interesting because they solely represent the body of a person, and not their mind. I hope to find some good articles related to my topic and I am looking forward to delving into a topic I do not have much familiarity with.

The Walking Dead

I really enjoyed reading the graphic novel version of The Walking Dead. I have always been kind of curious about the show, but didn't think that it's visual, gory nature would be very appealing to me and I did not have a very accurate understanding of the premise of the story. It seemed kind of superficial and more like zombie entertainment. It was not until I began to read through the graphic novel that I saw the developed themes of human nature and the way that one's choices can change them, and realized that the show as well was perhaps not as focused on the zombies themselves but instead on how people dealt with the situation that this put them in. There was a much more introspective, social commentary aspect of the series that the author intended to convey, and I felt that this really allowed me to appreciate what the series has to offer.

I liked specifically the way the theme of humanity was explored; how your relationships to people change and how the unique circumstances of a zombie apocalypse put you in a position that challenges you and sometimes strips away certain things that you always thought were part of who you were. The fact that zombies are still in human form presents an interesting internal conflict, since we as humans are inherently connected to people and things that are anthropomorphized like us. Especially in cases where the zombie is a person that someone may have known before, it is challenging to force yourself to go against this instinctive human bond and remind yourself that this 'being' is no longer capable of doing the things that make him human. All of a person's reactions are boiled down into more animalistic, base behaviors that increase one's chances of survival-- it is much harder to expend energy on more developed and characteristically 'human'  behaviors like forming and maintaining relationships and social units.

The Walking Dead

The Walking Dead is one of my favorite tv shows. I have been watching it since it came out and I always knew that it was based off of a graphic novel/comic book, but I never got the chance to read them. I started watching The Walking Dead after I saw the movie Zombieland with Jesse Eisenberg and Emma Stone. The concept of a zombie apocalypse is something I find very interesting and after watching the first couple of episodes of The Walking Dead I was hooked. It was interesting to note the differences between the tv show and the comic book. I was a little confused at first as the comic featured different characters and didn't follow the exact storyline from the tv show, but it was intriguing to see how the graphics in the comics had a completely different effect than the effects and CGI that are shown in the tv show. This assignment was definitely one of my favorite ones we have done so far as I was able to read the literature behind one of my favorite tv shows - something I haven't done for movies and tv shows (I definitely should start).

The Walking Dead

Like many in the class, I had never seen an episode of The Walking Dead before, or read the graphic novel.  I had no idea that the show was even based on a graphic novel.  Although I love watching scary movies, I had never been interested in a show about zombies for some reason.  Maybe I was turned off by the sci-fi-ish feel to it, or had just not fully understood its popular hype and failed to get hooked on it.  However, I was impressed by the way that the show presented this particular apocalyptic scenario.  It is scary enough imagining flesh eating zombies taking over society, but being stranded without friends and family is another fate entirely.  The fact of this scenario actually happening is of course slim, but it still represented a horrific situation, and was definitely thought-provoking.  In an apocalyptic world, the thought of police officers and law enforcers having little power to defend or protect is also a scary concept for me, and this is very much relevant in both the graphic novel and the show.  Humans being unable to protect themselves, and being so susceptible to horrific fates is unsettling.

Walking Dead

I have been watching this show for about three years now and I can say that it is one of my most favorite shows. It is not like other zombie based cinematography with mindless gore and violence but has an intricate plot. This was also pointed out by author Robert Kirkman when in he says these comics "show us gore and violence and all that cool stuff too... but there’s always an undercurrent of social commentary and thoughtfulness." I am well versed with the T.V. show so watching the episodes again was refreshing, however I never read the comics and was glad to have been given the chance to do so. I noticed many differences between the comic and the show. I noticed that the comics had many different characters and didnt even include some of my most favorite characters, such as Merle and Daryl. It also has an altered but very similar plot line. All of volume one of the comics is basically equivalent to the first two seasons of the T.V show. One of the main reasons I also enjoy this show a lot because it also shows the moral conundrums and decisions that the protagonist Rick Grimes has to face. For example in the TV show in episode 12 of season 2 Rick has to kill his best friend Shane and goes through so much pain doing so.

Walking Dead

I had always heard from everyone how great this show is, but I never really got myself to sit down and actually watch an episode, let alone read the comic book. It was really exciting and it does reveal a lot about some qualities and afflictions humans personally face, even though it was about zombies. The end part where the son saves the dad from Shane was very touchy and beautiful. It was nice to see strong family bonds. The show sort of took that scene in a different way. The father kills Shane, but the son still saves the dad by killing Shane as he wakes up from the dead. I also enjoyed the drama in the story. It relates to many shows that I watch where the girl has to pick between two guys. It also sheds some ideas about the reason Lori doesn't pick Shane; she has to stay loyal and committed to Rick because she is married to him. Shane becomes somewhat irrelevant and it was very sad and interesting to see how he spirals and dies. Overall, great show and story! It really is what the author said in the beginning of the book; it shows a lot of "reflections" of what friends, neighbors, and families might react and do in such extreme situations. 

Ian Crowley 12/4/2014

The Walking Dead does a good job of illustrating how people change when they are faced with adversity. It could be that when people are put in difficult situations such as an apocalyptic event, their true personalities come out. It could also be that people lose sight of what is really important, which causes them to react poorly to the situation. In any case, one person that goes through a dramatic change as a result of the outbreak is Shane. Shane used to be cop and was a partner as well as a best friend of Rick. After the outbreak, however, something happened to Shane. He was disloyal to Rick by sleeping with his Lori. Shane also deliberately goes against everything that Rick says. For example, Shane kills the prisoner in season 2, episode 12 when Rick says they should let him go. In the end Shane even tries to kill Rick so that he can continue his relationship with Lori.

Another thing that I found interesting in the Walking Dead is how responsibility is forced on people. It is clear that Rick has taken the leader role, however, another person that is forced to take on some responsibility is Carl. I believe Carl is twelve years old, and he is forced into a world where he must grow up unusually fast. He is given a gun and even has to shoot Shane in walker form in order to save his dad. This is such a cruel world for a young boy to grow up in and it is sad that so much is forced on Carl all at once.

The Walking Dead Graphic Novel vs. TV Series

This is the first time I've enjoyed one of the graphic novel readings; I guess they're just not my cup of tea in general. I attribute this to the style of development Kirkman uses by which we are able to learn more about the characters progressively. With that being said, I admit that I enjoyed the series much more. I think that the commentary within the novel was far more poignant and effectively delivered, but the series really allowed the disaster to sink in. Whether this is the result of visuals, changed dialogue, or something else, I'm not sure. The message that was most evident to me was the family relationship in the face of this apocalypse: regardless of what was happening, family took first priority, perhaps over the safety of oneself. On page 27, we read that Rick doesn't believe that Morgan's squatting has to be justified because he is simply protecting his son. After Rick is reunited with Lori and Carl, he realizes that he hasn't "had time to be scared." (61) Perhaps a counter-example to this would be Jim's escape from Atlanta which "happened so fast he didn't even realize what was going on" (84). He certainly looked out for himself, but it is unclear whether they were already lost before he could have helped them.

Throughout the rest of the reading, numerous examples of family relationships are present and it is definitely a big theme Kirkman was trying to hit on. In the adaptation for TV, I think that the writers do an excellent job of integrating the Rick's struggle into the story, but it often detracts from his immense desire to be reunited with them, something felt throughout the entire beginning of the novel. I think this is due to the heavier emphasis on Morgan and some other things only briefly present in the novel. Still, I would probably watch more of The Walking Dead than read it.

The Walking Dead

The graphic novel of the Walking Dead illustrated the common feeling and hope in an apocalyptic society where a separated family feels that their reunion will be the savior and will fix all their problems. AS Rick said, he was just a man looking for his family and would do anything to find them. However, to the belief that finding the family will fix everything didn't go as such in The Walking Dead. In this graphic novel, the return of Rick only made things worse, ultimately leading to the deaths of three characters, including Rick's best friend. This opposite of what was thought to happen exemplifies how not everything goes as planned, and when people are put into extremely difficult situations, they can occasionally lose themselves and sight of their ultimate goal, as shown with Shane. The graphic novel showed the change in a person's character as they are continually exposed to an apocalyptic society.

The Walking Dead

This is the third time this semester (and in my life) that I have loved a graphic novel. I think I am really starting to get into this genre as a serious form of literary entertainment.

The Walking Dead has been one of those shows that, since it came out, I have wanted to watch, but have never committed myself to. So this was a great introduction.
One thing I really liked about this graphic novel in particular was how quickly it moved. Within the first 10 panels you knew what it was basically about and who Rick Grimes was. And from there, no time was wasted on any bullshit. The authors cut right to it and moved it along at a enjoyable clip. Additionally, I found much of what was said to be very poignant. Like some people have noted, the part about how she was such a nice girl, and how the zombie infection didn't pick and choose its victims really stood out to me.
Also, after I read this first volume, I watched the first episode in the series. I loved it. I was really amazed at how closely it followed the first bit of the graphic novel. Reading the descriptions of the first 6 episodes on netflix, it seems like the first season is mainly the first volume of the graphic novel with some extra stuff thrown in.

Maybe now I will start watching the show and find the rest of the graphic novel to binge watch/read over winter break!

The Walking Dead

The scene just before Shane's death really stuck out to me. He's releasing all of his inner thoughts to Rick and it reveals so much about his character that Rick didn't realize before, especially since they were former partners. The differences of the realities of Rick and Shane are quite interesting. Shane sees Rick as changing "destiny" so to speak; he essentially blames the influx of walkers near the campsite on Rick, whether he acknowledges it or not. Since Shane thought that since Rick was as good as dead, he could finally take what was Rick's without the repercussions of Rick being alive to have a say in it. However, this reality changed when Rick showed up. The intimacy that Shane had shared with Lori was removed because her husband was now alive again. Rick knew none of this until Shane snapped. I found the difference that the simple knowledge of the affair could create such different realities. Rick had no idea that he was driving Shane off the deep end by coming back.

The Walking Dead

 I chose this part of the comic because it made me very emotional and it really struck a chord with me. One of the hardest things about the nature of a zombie apocalypse is that the zombies that you have to kill were once living people. This was conveyed both in the comic and in the show. In the show Morgan is not able to shoot the zombie that was once his wife and breaks into tears. For the characters it is easier for them to detach themselves more from the zombies who they didn't know when they were alive. In the scene of the comic pictured above Carl kills Shane and then afterwards remarks "It's not the same as killing the dead ones Daddy" to which Rick responds "It never should be, son, it never should be." I thought this was so powerful because Carl is reflecting on how it feels different to kill a zombie that's already dead than to kill Shane, but that's how it should be because otherwise they would lose their humanity. Also the art in the comic was amazing...just look at the tree branches making a frame around Carl and Rick.

The Walking Dead

After reading The Walking Dead, I was able to connect a lot of the previous texts we've read to the story.  One particular scene that stood out to me was when Lori is seen crying and kneeling on the ground after Shane punches Rick.  Lori says, "What's happening to us?" and "It's never going to be the same again.  We're never going to be normal again..."  I thought those quotes were very powerful; in any apocalyptic event, it is very hard to go back to the familiarity and comfortableness of life before.  This reminded me of Sam in The Flame Alphabet.  Sam deals with the idea of normality as well.  Towards the end of the book, he struggles to accept that Claire, Esther, and him will never have the loving relationship they once had.  The takeaway I got from reading The Walking Dead and The Flame Alphabet is that, with time, change is inevitable.  It is hard to replicate the past and if you hold on to it, it will consume you.

The Walking Dead Comic

One of the pivotal scenes in “The Walking Dead” volume 1 comic was the scene where Amy was attacked by the zombies and the survivors of the camp buried her body. I found what Jim said to be very moving. His remark, “She was a pretty girl…smart too. She shoulda been going to college…living her life…being young….being happy. This should never have happened. She didn’t deserve his. Nobody deserves this.” This quote really stuck with me because it brings up the point that apocalypses don’t always favor certain people over others. Obviously, we have read about real-world crises where poor and vulnerable people are hit harder than others because they have less resources but overwhelmingly, apocalyptic events hit everyone with surprising equality. Apocalyptic events such as the one depicted in the comic target everyone equally, no matter if the character is young or old or had a promising life or a horrible life before the apocalypse. This, to me, provides an explanation for why apocalyptic events cause hopelessness. There is nothing the people can do to change the apocalypse because it is beyond their control. They know that they do not deserve the suffering they are experiencing, but cannot change it, and this causes them to give up trying to save themselves.  

Walking Dead - comic

Having seen the TV show, it was interesting to observe the little differences. The biggest difference I noticed was the fact that Carl kills Shane. This scene exemplifies the difficult things that people are forced to do in apocalyptic situations. In a normal world a seven year old shouldn't be carrying a gun in the first place. But in end times things are different. On one hand if Carl hadn't started carrying a gun, his mother might have died during the attack on their camp, and furthermore his father might have been killed by Shane. Nonetheless, the mental strain it must put on someone so young is unimaginable. Even the strain of killing a zombie as a seven year old is hard to imagine, but killing a real person at that age is really an indicator of the difficult circumstances of the comic. I would be interested to find out if the comic continues to portray the effects of the environment on Carl specifically, in a different way than the TV Show.

The Walking Dead

"In a world rule by the dead, we are forced to finally start living." - The Walking Dead, Volume 1. 

I really enjoyed reading this graphic novel, as it is compelling and insightful. What may seem like a basic post-apocalypse-refugee camp is actually a perfect setting for meaningful character development, as proven by Robert Kirkman's profound use of realism to convey his points about human nature. The dynamic that exists between the refugees at the campsite is all too realistic, as feelings of jealousy, anxiety, and mistrust overpower the fairytale emotions put forth by less intellectual authors. I find the plot of "The Walking Dead" to be fascinating, as it takes an innately silly topic and uses it as a medium for complex drama and intelligent plot twists. I am intrigued by Kirkman's ability to kill off characters (and horses) that other authors may not have the heart to kill, as I believe this kicks up the realism of the situation. Not every "good person" makes it out alive, as characterized by the biting and eventual death of Jim. The camp setting is a truly a stomping ground for economic game theory, as each person's actions are inherently guided by self-interest, which provides for an intriguing plot to unfold. As this class progresses, I am gaining a true respect for the power of graphic novels in conveying relevant insights onto the topics they encompass. I will certainly be in the market for some more graphic novels after this class ends, so I hope to read more of "The Walking Dead" in the future!

12/04/14 Cristal Kim

I was a huge fan of The Walking Dead TV show a few years ago but sort of fell out of it last year; that being said, it was definitely a new perspective to read the series rather than watch it. The graphic novel seemed so much more fast-paced and watching at how quickly Rick adapted to everything was surprising, especially compared to the episode we were assigned to watch. However, one scene in the graphic novel, that they failed to reenact in the TV series, really stood out to me. When Rick is riding the horse to Atlanta he contemplates and reminisces about the "good ol' days" but quickly realizes how futile it is. I felt really moved by this passage because it does not just relate to apocalyptic situations but contemporary society as well. Granted, I've never been in any apocalyptic situations like this or in The Flame Alphabet (pray that never happens either), I do think people tend to romanticize the past even today. People are never satisfied with their current situation that they lean on the past when times were "simpler" or "easier," forcing them to forget all the bad things too. Although, it's nice to reminisce, too much can be depressing. You will never appreciate the now before it too becomes history and you can never move on. Here, Rick realizes that it's too late and further dwelling on it will only make his transition into this new life much harder. It's nice to be fond of our past but remember that what's important is right now.

Flame Alphabet - Selection 2

Perhaps it is better now to liken a father to an animal parent. Certain caretaking is observed, but when the offspring matures, alienation and estrangement set in. Rivalry. The youngster grows preternaturally angry at the father, for some reason angrier at the father than at any other creature and the father opens a small hole in his chest to accommodate this anger which flows in rapidly. An emotional ecology is observed, with the energy composted and renewed in the chest of the man. A deep, circular structure is satisfied with the anger returning to its creator, who is probably not equipped to hold it anymore. He must release it through new activities to the world.

Page 256

I think that this passage is an excellent example of where Ben Marcus practically explicitly states his belief about the nature of gratitude: cutthroat and almost animalistic. The father here gives everything to his child and gets little else than malice in return. This is certainly a bit of an exaggeration in many cases, but in a general context, it is hard to disagree that it is not uncommon for the reciprocation of a favor to be somewhat weaker or nonexistent. I believe that a person loses value in our eyes when we fail to acknowledge the things they do for us; certainly as much is evident in the relationship between Esther and Samuel. Esther (to my memory) doesn't once recognize the many things that he does for her and her animosity towards him grows progressively worse, culminating in what I find to be one of the most hateful departures I could imagine. Perhaps it is simply hardwired in us all to bite the hand that feeds us, but I think that Marcus tries to highlight this point as a small lesson in thankfulness. 

Flame Alphabet - Second selection

"Through medicine I brought myself back to the language and those tones of Claire went, what's the word for it? They were gone. I do not hear them anymore. For that I blame the craven desire to speak, to write, to be heard." (277)

To me, this is a perfect description of the values and respective pitfalls of communication. In some ways it seems that humans would be able to get along much better if they were unable to communicate. It is far easier to feel compassion towards someone who cannot berate you. It is difficult to judge when the specifics of that judgement cannot be expressed, and similarly it is difficult to feel judged for the same reason. It seems that when there is no speech, there is no deliberation over the trials of the world. Though there is much that must be sacrificed when communication is no longer possible, it seems at least to me, that humanity is preserved and even made more prominent.

The Flame Alphabet Second Selection

"I did not give up on my religion. I found only that I no longer required reminders, assertions, repetitions, harangues. Nothing outside myself. Whatever I believed played on inside me with no help from the radio. I'd heard enough for a lifetime. I found I could do without more things to misunderstand." (pg 275)

This passage is interesting because it represents the state of completely internalized, abstract concepts that Samuel and others strived to achieve the entire time they spent as dedicated followers of their sect of "Forest Judaism." Even though Burke claimed that he was the one true source from which teachings could be heard, this blind, unquestioning faith is exactly what caused them to stray from enlightenment. We see this when LeBov reveals that Burke's sermons were simply an old recorded loop, and Thomas was simply another of his own false identities; willingly preventing thought and critical analysis, while theoretically could make you more receptive to organic feelings and religious ideas in their pure form, also puts you in a position of extreme vulnerability as there is no way of knowing that someone is taking advantage of you-- or is simply misguided as well. A sermon by its very nature is already tainted, from a secondhand source. The only way to be truly confident in the infallibility of an idea or spiritual feeling is to have it originate from within, and to keep it your own. You avoid the marring influence of comprehension because you are not attempting to wordlessly feel something as described by another, instead it keeping on the fringe of your consciousness where you can feel what you mean without putting it into organized thought. This makes me think about those who reject modern organized religion in favor of their own manifestation of spirituality, and I wonder at what point they decided that this style of prescribed religion was not pure enough for them.

Part 2: Flame Alphabet

I am choosing the following passage which is right from the beginning of part two.

"I caught one last sight of Claire. She seemed confused. No one told her she'd come up short in the field and collapsed. No one told her she had not escaped. They stuffed me in my car, shut the door, then banged a hand on the roof to tell me it was okay to go now. Join the procession out of her. Get going. Without her. But it was not okay.......when I kicked on the doors they were blocked from the outside. It was like my car was underwater and I could not get out."

Even though this quote comes very early in part two, it stuck with me because it shows true desperation. This quote refers to when Sam and Claire were getting out of town and how Claire decided to go back to the house. However before she even made it to the house, her legs 'faltered' and she lay motionless on the field. When Sam tried to go and get her the men of the quarantine pinned him and stuffed him back in his car, and instructed to leave. Sam was bewildered and tried to go out again to get his wife but was again pinned down and he felt like his car was underwater and he was drowning in it. I found this passage to be very powerful because it reveals true helplessness and how a man has to leave behind his potentially deceased wife because people won't let him get her. I thought about what Sam could have done or what I would do to get Claire, but when you think about it he really could do nothing and was helpless. Even though he is eventually reunited with Claire, I hope no one ever has to go through this type of traumatic  of experience, because it is frightening to think about.

11/19/2014 Ian Crowley

"My days in this northern hole of Rochester were speechless and dark. I saw no sun, never felt the sky darken. No authentic sky prevailed in the Forsythe recovery wing, no windows through which the light might fail. Ruptured mattresses littered the floor, sleeping bags with the bottoms kicked through. A brittle pillow bore the facial welt of the last patient who slept here. A man’s work shirt had been chewed, swallowed, spit up in a glaze of bile."

Marcus, Ben (2012-01-17). The Flame Alphabet (Vintage Contemporaries) (p. 153). Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.

I chose this passage because I think it truly portrays the level of despair that comes along with apocalyptic events. The mood of this passage is very heavy and it really paint a picture of the societal anguish in the mind of the reader. Samuel is in the Forsythe recovery wing, however, the way he describes it isn't how one would expect. A recovery wing should be bright and hopeful, however, this one is sad and gloomy. This passage really illustrates the brokenness of society due to the disease. It not only paints a picture of Samuel suffering, but other individuals as well. Samuel points out all of the sleeping bags on the floor where people had slept before. There is even still the impression of a man's head on a pillow. When reading this passage I couldn't help but feel sympathy for Samuel, and even the unknown individuals who were there before him.

11/20/14 Cristal Kim

"Or perhaps, if I ever did develop a script that could be read without sickness, restoring language to our fine species, I wouldn't be so quick to share it with the good people of Forsythe.
Perhaps, such an invention, kept private, was just what I needed to find my leverage" (Ben Marcus The Flame Alphabet 172).


This passage helped illustrate how important language is; obviously, throughout this text, I realized how lightly we take language, but this excerpt further solidified that idea. The idea that you could withhold such information in such a starved environment is strange and menacing. In a society that has been reduced to almost nothing, people can still be selfish and manipulative, thinking of solely how to benefit themselves. And this can be achieved through the use of language. I never expected something so mundane in our everyday lives to be used for such great purposes. Yes, this novel made me think about the consequences and weight of my words, but I never thought they could be used as leverage against not just one person, but an entire society.

Flame Alphabet Part 2

"These were the mercy tents. Inside people heard some last song, whatever they chose to dial up, and then down they went to those sounds. A strategy of acoustical expiration. Suicide by language. Mercy was right. The tents were clearly a kindness to those who remained. No one was forced in. On the contrary, people fought to get inside first. And when a funeral field had filled, the mercy tents were struck and dragged away. Audio equipment pulled alongside by wagon. A jukebox of words to die to" (179).

This passage struck me right away as something unthinkable. In this passage, two ideas combined together truly grabbed my attention. First off was the fact that these people would choose to die by listening to music. It seems unthinkable in a world that we live in today, which makes this book so much more creative. In today's world, music brings happiness and joy to so many people, and in The Flame Alphabet, the juxtaposition between being happy while listening to music as it slowly kills you is remarkable. Combine this with the second part, being that people would line up and rush to get into these suicide tents, and the outcome is truly appalling. The fact that people line up for their death shows the loss of hope in this society. It also illustrates the lack of enjoyment in life without human interaction through language. People are so lonely that they don't want to even live any longer and they decide to kill themselves by something that used to bring them so much joy, before it brought them so much pain. Overall, the juxtaposition between what sound is bringing now in the novel, compared to what it used to do before the disease outbreak began is remarkably contradicting, and its use in the novel makes the plotline even more interesting.

The Flame Alphabet Pt. 2

"I did my work and fed the material to the technicians, who came to my office with a bucket to collect what I'd done.  That's what the work I gave them amounted to: slops.  In the courtyard men and women fell unconsciousness, turned into gaze less creatures.  Some of them were sick because of alphabets I made.  I raised a sparse beard on my face and I learned to stare between the people I saw." (183)

I thought this passage really embodied how much an apocalyptic event can impact individuals.  The tone of the passage was dull and lifeless, reflecting the nature of Sam and the "creatures."  It was frightful how little emotion the subjects had.  As a result, I thought it was appropriate and clever how the passage mentioned the men and women were turned into "gaze less creatures."  The complexity of human motion is a well known trait that distinguishes humans from other animals.  If people were to adopt emotionless states, what would set them apart from any other creature?  Another part of the passage that intrigued me was the emotional distant enforced by Sam.  I thought the last sentence was particularly powerful.  This reminded me of Rabab's reference to people with depression and post traumatic stress disorder.  All of Sam's traumatic and painful experiences had hardened him.  The contrast between how he was in the beginning of the book and now is so different it's difficult to imagine that these two personas were ever the same person.  

Flame Alphabet part 2

"As she got dressed and made her way out of my room, Marta looked at me plainly, as if she was curious, in the detached, scientific sense, why I would have any interest in hurting her. I'd seen that face before, and I hadn't realized it was a face that could be shared, used by more than one person, but it had appeared on Claire, and I had always thought that it was hers alone, to use only on those special occasions when I had disappointed her. But apparently this was a face that Marta had access to as well."

As I was looking at others' blog posts, I did notice that I picked the same passage as Alex, however, I had a few other reasons for picking this passage. Alex pointed out that Marcus has this way of describing scenes and feelings in a way that really puts you in the story, and I agree with this wholeheartedly. However, the main reason I picked this passage was because I think it reflects on relationships, and the way people view their partners. Sam sees Marta giving her this look, and he's surprised by the fact that it's the same as a look that Claire has given him, and that they can make the same facial expression in response to what he's done. I feel like a lot of times, when we have a relationship with someone, whether it's a friend or a significant other, we want that person for ourselves, and think that the way they act is special to your relationship and no one else can mimic it. This isn't true of course-- we're all much more similar than we think in respect to our body language and facial expressions, and this passage exemplifies that. It's a very truthful passage.

Flame Alphabet Part 2

"Even in the sunshine my mood did not ease. It pulled at my breath, drew my sight into a darkened hole. It was a wordless despair I felt, a final sense of certainty that one's maneuverings were all tethered to some vector of, not even folly, but something far worse. Something much more terrible than folly." (282)

I picked this package because it undoubtedly emphasizes the difficulties of describing a feeling through language. Our thoughts are so complex that when we relay them through language, it's almost restricting or limiting to the bounds of our mind. Ben Marcus does an incredible job by highlighting it in this passage and others that words cannot describe the full effect of a feeling or action. Sometimes we don't have the right words to translate what we feel. It's like when a person just overcame a calamity or a traumatic situation and he/she don't know how to describe it because it's much more than the words he/she can say or know. This also can be compared to the beginning of the book where Claire would say "really" to emphasize an emotion or an idea and how it was "a desperate little adjective" (28). It comes to a moment where we cannot effectively transmit our thoughts and ideas to concrete language.

Flame Alphabet Pt. 2

"When I monitor the quarantine across the river, what I see is not so much anymore. The child quarantines here at this final New York - and staggered in settlements up and down the coast, even as the salt rises - have develop an orderly form of dispatch when they need to eject their own, young citizens of eroded immunity, tongues hard in their mouths, newly pained by language. All of them will age, and all of them will have to leave, and then my town, my house, will be free of their kind, the easy-speaking ones. I cannot fathom another outcome. Now the little gate opens and out they come, dazed and already ill. No doubt they will not live long, unless they can quickly adapt to the laws of the speechless world." (pg. 264)

This passage is towards the end of the book and it depicts Sam discussing the children being released from the areas where they were quarantined at the beginning of the novel. However, it is interesting because he is reflecting on the time when only children's speech was toxic, but now all forms of communication are poisonous. There seems to be a sense of anger in his voice, almost like he wants to get revenge on the children for the being the initial cause of the illness. The last line stuck out to me because of the fact that his compassion seems to be completely gone. Even though Sam was much more on board with the idea of leaving Esther at the beginning of the novel than his wife, it seems as if any sort of compassion that he originally had does not exist.

The Flame Alphabet (2)

                “You have commanded us not to know you and we have obeyed. When we have known you we have looked away …

                Whatever this was, it was no real prayer. It sounded like an apology for something that had never happened. I could not bear the sound, particularly in my own voice, and so I put away my wires and did not eavesdrop on the cable again.” (274)

I view this passage as a commentary on religion and the influence it has over society. Sam describes "an apology for something that had never happened," which is something that Christianity deals a lot in with the original sin; people must repent for something they didn't do wrong, something that didn't happen to them or because of them. This idea can be used to guilt people into praying to a deity to cleanse them of something innate to their biology, something they were born with.