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.

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).

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 - 11/17/2014

"Pain is too soft a word for the reaction. Crushing was more accurate, an intolerable squeezing in the chest and the hips, though I didn't have measurements to support the claim. The Marshall Symptom appliance, bolted to the sidewalk outside the medical center on Fifth Street and visited by a procession of gray-faced neighbors, was meant to detect just how slushed our insides were from too much speech, how blighted we'd become from the language toxin."

This passage stuck out to me because it describes the powerful effect that children's speech has on people. However, what I liked the most about it was how Sam emphasized the effect it had on the way society acted as a whole. The complexion's of people on the street had changed and the fact that body language becomes a much more powerful way of communication were all interesting parts about this scene and the book in general that I think should be pointed out. Another aspect of the story that I found intriguing was the idea that Sam and Claire had to weigh their own well-being versus their love for their daughter Esther. This scene starts to describe to the reader how different life is with this "disease" of sorts. I think the theme that this scene demonstrates is definitely relevant today, but is manifested on a different level. For example, I think this plays a role when it comes to financial decisions that families have to make. Sometimes parents make tremendous sacrifices so that their children can have a certain lifestyle that originally wouldn't be possible without financial cutbacks in another area.

Bounty

I found this passage intriguing because of the fact that I found it funny how hypocritical the protagonist was in this scene. Essentially he throws rocks at his friend who is making a mistake with his lines (also just to annoy him), however, in the end he ends up forgetting his own lines and misses his piece all together. I also thought it was interesting how this passage introduces the relationship between Cole and his sister. For me, it almost seemed that Cole was jealous of how his sister was getting involved with other guys, a feeling that is definitely common for boys who have sisters. On a general note, I really enjoyed reading Bounty as I thought it introduced certain questions and problems that people face today such as discrimination and other major social issues. I think it is important to embrace your natural qualities, even if they are put down and deemed wrong by the rest of society. Saunders definitely touched upon this theme in Bounty and that is one of the main reasons found his writing so gripping and compelling. 

Black Hole

The part that I chose depicts the aftermath of a very awkward and bad experience that happened the night before with the female protagonist. I thought it was interesting how the author was able to demonstrate the character's thoughts and sadness through the art as well as the writing. Both of these two aspects of the graphic novel/comic book were able to reflect and communicate the message that the author was trying to portray. I think this scene is also representative of what many high schoolers and college students experience - not to this degree but sometimes when you have a bad day or a strange experience it is very difficult to convey to other people what that is like, but I think the comic does a good job at that.

Reading Summaries

What atheists like Bill Maher have in common with medieval Christian crusaders. (Sep 4, 2014)

This article is a criticism of atheists such as Sam Harris, Richard Dawkins and Bill Maher who say that Islam is the root of all the problems in the Middle East and the division between the West and the Middle East. However, this article also delves into the main conflicts in the Middle East and explains how some of the main problems in countries such as Iraq and Afghanistan today has happened in other parts of the Middle East in the early 1900s. CJ Werleman goes on to criticize atheists such as Bill Maher who are constantly bashing the Middle East and Islam in general, without much scholarly evidence. "If a “caliphate” has been established, it’s an American caliphate in the Middle East. With a total of 44 U.S. military bases in the Middle East and the Central Asia, some of which are the size of small cities, we have the Muslim world completely surrounded. From Turkey to Saudi Arabia, from Uzbekistan to Kyrgyzstan, our bases serve as a constant reminder to Muslims that we control their economic future and we are here to stay. And with an economic future that looks bleak for Muslims, the embers for Muslim rage are stoked." Another interesting idea that Werleman discusses is our reliance on the Middle East due to oil. 

The War between ISIS and al-Qaeda for Supremacy of the Global Jihadist Movement. (Aaron Y. Zelin) - The Washington Institute for Near East Policy. 

This article comes from a scholarly source and I picked it not because of how relevant it is to my main argument, but more so because it has a lot of important information about al-Qaeda and ISIS - to major terrorist organizations - that I will discuss in my essay. It is important to understand the differences between these two organizations as they have different goals, even though they approach these goals in a similar fashion. This article goes into depth regarding ISIS' main goal to create a caliphate in the Middle East governed by sharia law. Al-Qaeda on the other hand is more concerned with global jihad, however both have a similar hatred of the U.S. and Israel. ISIS is much more similar to a political entity because of the fact that it has taken over areas such as Syria and parts of Iraq and has enforced laws that people have to obey and follow. 

Sharia Incorporated: A Comparative Overview of the  Legal Systems of Twelve Muslim  Countries in Past and Present - (Jan Michiel Otto)

This article is very interesting because it compares sharia law and how enforced it was in several different countries over the years. This paints a picture of what the Middle East is like when it comes to how it is is governed and how strong of an impact it has on the way people carry out their lives. However, the most interesting aspect of this article is how it discusses the political systems of countries and how they have changed over time. A strong example of this is Iran. Iran has changed significantly since the Iranian Revolution and because of it Iran went from a much more secular state to one that cut off its ties with the West. 

Ragnarok

"What was there in the beginning in the Asgard stories?

In the first age

There was nothing 

Nor sand nor sea

Nor cold waves;

There was no earth,

No sky on high

The gulf gaped

And grass grew nowhere"

This passage is on page 23, and is the second part of the explanation of how the world was created. The "thin child" was wondering how the world came to be and how everything inside it was created. Two stories were promoted: the religious story regarding a "grandfatherly figure who had spent six delectable days making things" (along with the idea of the snake and the concept of temptation with the apple) and the one in the Asgard stories. I think this passage has a lot of relevance with society today because the concept and question "how did the Earth come to be?" is asked by scientists and religious scholars alike and it has been the center of cause of much debate between two conflicting spectrums. Based of what the passage before this one said, the thin child found the second story much more interesting. I thought this passage was important because it revealed a lot about the main character - the thin child. It showed the thin child's curiosity and desire to learn. I was debating choosing this passage and another one discussing how the child would use a hidden light or the light underneath the bedroom door in order to read different stories. Both of these passages demonstrate the child's thirst for knowledge and allow the reader to develop a strong understanding of the child's character. This passage demonstrates how the child uses the book of Asgard and the Gods to make sense of the new world that she has been thrown into. This passage regarding the creation of life and the world is almost like a guide for her as she too has been put into an environment that is completely different from the one that she was used to. Another reason I really liked this passage is because it is almost like the "calm before the storm" as it says that in the first age there was nothing. It is almost foreshadowing the idea that something big is going to be created and it is going to explode out of nowhere. 

Qu'ran Selections

After reading through the first couple of lines I was having less trouble with the sentence structure and vocabulary that was implemented in the excerpts. However, at first I had to re-read sentences in order to fully understand what they discussed. It was very evident how intertwined Christianity, Islam, and Judaism are based off the content in the readings. Even though I knew that chronologically Islam came after Judaism and Christianity it was interesting to see how related these three religions are based off the similarities in the way they recognize certain prophets and key individuals in their respective faiths. In addition to this I also found it quite interesting how the use of fear was discussed in the Az-Zukhruf section. I never really thought of how fear can be used to influence people's religious beliefs until I read the part relating to how one must fear Allah and obey him. I always thought of God as a guide not as intimidating being and it seems that this religious text delves into the fact that Allah is not only a being that you should respect, but also one that you should fear. The concept of doing wrong and "having woe being brought to the wrong-doers" cemented the idea that people involved in a religion often end up believing in certain principles and acting in certain ways, more so because they are afraid of the consequences.

Book of Daniel - 10/22/14

Before tonight's assignment I had never read any section of the Book of Daniel. I do not associate myself with any religion and my knowledge of religious texts is quite limited. However, I found the readings - specifically The Book of Daniel - incredibly interesting and compelling. I was overwhelmed with the detail and symbolism that the chapter regarding the destruction of the kingdoms used and at times I found it difficult to read a page without going back to reabsorb what was said. Chapters 7-11 which discussed the visions and dreams were also difficult to read as at times I thought I was reading the same thing, however, I had to look deeper to understand the hidden meanings and the minute details that made them different. Another reason I found the reading interesting was because of the mythological-like twist that some of the chapters had. For example, chapter 7 mentions four great beasts, each representing something different - one of the beasts symbolizes future kings. Overall, the mythological parallels made the whole reading intriguing and allowed me to connect something I did not know very much about with something I have a passion for.

10/21/14 - Babel Translations

Prior to going through the assigned readings regarding the story of Babel, I had a very rudimentary understanding of what it discussed. I did not know the background information that is necessary to develop a strong understanding of this Biblical story, so I did some research and learned that it was set after the Great Flood and that it is important to take into account that humanity was united at that point, speaking the same language. I found it interesting how the different translations allowed me to have a different perspective of the story, but at times it was confusing because I did not know which one was "the best" or the most thorough. When I was reading the different translations, the phrase "And the whole earth was of one language and one speech". This phrase struck me because of the fact that it emphasizes the idea how before humans were "scattered" around the Earth by God, they (according to the myth) were unified by one language. It is interesting to note that today languages are barriers and are often the reasons why people from different countries have a hard time understanding each other's cultures. However, the story demonstrates how our world became so diverse and why people from different areas of the Earth are so unique.

10/16/14 - Gilgamesh

Prior to watching this video I had a vague understanding of Gilgamesh because of the fact that I had discussed it with my parents and teachers in high school at certain points. After watching this video I developed a stronger understanding of the story and how it connected with immortality and living forever. However, this story/epic is incredibly difficult to understand if one doesn't focus on the minute details and information. The epic has so many tablets that it is quite easy to get "lost" and lose track of the main idea and concepts that this epic discusses. I was able to connect with the story as a main theme of it was emotions and how they effect what we do and how we act. The video also served as a historical reference, demonstrating how people were many years ago.  There is definitely a connection between what people wanted/thought thousands of years ago with what people today think/want, and this video was able to manifest that.  On another note it is also very impressive how this story has been able to retain its value and become a staple of stories that people discuss, whether it be in a class or less formal setting. The fact that Gilgamesh had an effect on political figures today was also amazing because we don't really think ancient myths/stories have an impact on important people in society. Epics in general are very interesting to read and learn about. I have read pieces by Homer and Vergil, and Gilgamesh definitely is part of that group of intriguing and compelling pieces of literature.

Religulous Response

Bill Maher's Religulous was incredibly thought provoking and definitely forced me to question everything I have been told about religion since I was a child. Even though I don't consider myself to be religious, as my parents decided to let me choose what if religion is right for me, I have never had a very radical view regarding organized faith. However, it was very interesting to see Bill Maher interview people who had very strong views regarding Christianity, Islam and Judaism as it demonstrated how some people grow up in an environment that almost shuns science and reason. I think Bill Maher essentially interviewed people who were complete opposites to the protagonists (the two scientists) of The Unbelievers. To a certain degree or not I think religion has been the cause of many of the wars that have occurred in the past, but the strange thing about this fact is the idea that the three main religions in question are all the same when it comes to the basic roots. Somehow people manage to launch ideological wars against each other even though their core beliefs are very similar and because of that I can understand Maher's negativity regarding religion. However, Maher is also a staunch defender of gay rights and because of that he decided to interview many people who had incredibly archaic views regarding gay rights. All in all I thought that in order to elicit a response from people, Maher had to develop a piece that was radical and because of the negative sentiment towards the way he went out about making this documentary I think he was quite successful and delivering his message.

Y: The Last Man

Y: The Last Man was very interesting yet quite funny at the same time. The humorous component of it provided a nice twist for a serious topic. I found the storyline really compelling and the general pictures/graphics very cool as well. It was also a good read because it presented the idea of what could possibly happen if there was a world without men. The perspective that this comic provided regarding gender roles and government organization made Y: The Last Man one of the most intriguing comics I have ever read.

9/25/14 - Response to My Imaginary Bunker

Reading Megan Bergman's My Imaginary Bunker was almost depressing to say the least. The sheer negativity and obsession with statistics and numbers hit the "world is going to end" idea home. Her discussion regarding how she feels about her three year old saying "when I'm a mommy" and how it makes her sad to think that she might not even have grandkids, seemed rather exaggerated and almost self-deprecating, as if she will be the only one experiencing family problems if the world spontaneously blows up or global warming has its say. Then, Bergman rattles down a list of things that make her less culpable for global warming as she does a lot to be eco-friendly, but right after that goes through all the bad things she does. Her tone made her seem like she was trying to victimize herself and wasn't exactly pleasurable to read. Overall, I thought the read was interesting as it provided a unique and interesting perspective on someone who clearly thinks about these issues a lot, however, certain parts of her tone, word choice, and general attitude towards global warming and apocalyptic theories threw me off.

9/22/2014 - Response to Shock Doctrine

After reading a segment of Naomi Klein's Shock Doctrine I felt like everything I had been told by my teachers, the media, and adults was false to some degree. In the United States there is a sense of nationalism and patriotism that allowed Bush's administration to "walk into" Iraq with fairly little resistance, however, up until recently the media construed it in such a way that it was beneficial for us to send troops into Iraq because there were weapons of mass destruction. However, that was completely untrue and we went into Iraq in order to destroy Baathist influence in that area and to impose ourselves in a strategically important area of the world that also has access to oil. In addition to that as Naomi Klein put, 9/11 was also an opportunity for us to implement free-market principles on another country and gain access to markets that were previously sealed off to us. I found the concept of a "shock" especially interesting because of the idea that they serve as a distraction for the public and media in order for countries to apply their unfavorable economic policies on other nations without much criticism. Naomi Klein's discussion regarding Torture as a Metaphor was also particularly interesting because of the way that she was able to relate how the CIA and other interrogators torture individuals on a larger scale. For example, the first step is to numb/starve the sense of any input and the second step is to bombard the body with overwhelming stimulation. Once these two have been completed the human would be much weaker and ready to admit to any crimes and hand over any important information. This was related to what the U.S. did by educating several Chilean individuals at the University of Chicago in order for them to team up with Pinochet and instill policies in Chile that were favorable for potential U.S. investors.

9/17/14 - Tommaso Angelini

David Graeber's Debt presented a whole new side to the idea of debt. A side which I had scarcely thought about ever since I understood what the concept of debt is. However, what Graeber says that I found quite interesting and significantly accurate, is the fact that debt is incredibly misunderstood. He divides debt into two different cases: moral debt and economic debt. Economic debt is the type of debt that "most" people have a solid grasp of. For example, if I were to borrow 100 dollars from CitiBank I would then owe CitiBank 100 dollars plus interest. Interest is a percentage of the initial value of the money that I borrowed that I would have to pay back, on top of the money that I was lent, for every month (or every year depending on the loan) that I don't compensate CitiBank. The concept that is more difficult to understand is moral debt. Graeber goes into depth regarding how moral debt is ridiculously skewed as throughout history 3rd world countries have been plundered by major superpowers and used as refueling stations, military outposts, and strategic locations in wars, etc., These countries have had their resources plundered and their cities decimated, yet, for some reason they end up refinancing the "mother-countries"back. For example, in 1895 France usurped Queen Ranavalona III and colonized Madagascar. France then proceeded to build train tracks, military stations, bases, and other forms of infrastructure in order to mold Madagascar into a colony that would serve the purpose of enriching France and helping it claim a spot on the Indian Ocean. The people of Madagascar were then forced to pay taxes in order to allow these pieces of infrastructure to be built. And today, France still claims that Madagascar owes them money. After reading this piece I was given a new perspective regarding how the borrowers are treated on an international scale when it comes to countries borrowing from other countries, or being forced into submission to pay for things that they never wanted in the first place. 

9/15/14 - Tommaso Angelini

Going back to what Julia mentioned about how we as Americans live in a bubble, I too could really relate with what Zizek was saying in his piece Welcome to the Desert of the Real. I live in New York City, specifically Manhattan, and sometimes I wonder what would have happened if  I had stayed in the school that I attended for middle school - Columbia Prep. - for high school as well. My high school was in a completely different part of the city and attracted a whole new demographic, which I had very little experience interacting with on a daily basis. Being exposed to different cultures enabled me to gain a sense of cultural sensitivity that I probably would not have garnered had I not switched schools. This memory resonated through me as I progressed through this piece of writing. As Americans we fail to realize and understand what other countries go through on a daily basis. Throughout some parts of this piece, I thought that Zizek was slightly insensitive when it came to discussing 9/11, however, I do agree with his statement regarding how 9/11 was a traumatic event that significantly impacted the world and how we perceive things. Yet, some countries go through what we as Americans went through during 9/11 on a daily basis, and I think it is incredibly important that we as Amercians develop a degree of sensitivity to what other cultures and nations undergo. After reading this piece I was particularly impressed with how Zizek was able to manipulate the idea that Americans are incredibly isolated from the rest of the world even though we are in touch with so many other foreign countries and cultures.

9/11/2014 - Tommaso Angelini

Apart from watching a couple post-apocalyptic movies I have not had much experience reading the "post-catastrophic novel" as Chad Harbach so eloquently puts. After reading Harbach's set of summaries, from Mary Shelley's The Last Man to Cormac McCarthy's The Road, I found it quite interesting how post-apocalpytic stories and novels have evolved over time. One point Harbach made that struck me was the idea that post-apocalpytic novels parallel the era in which they were written. For example, most of the stories that were written before the Cold War, revolved around a dystopia-like setting. Novels like Aldous Huxley's Brave New World and George Orwell's 1984 immediately come to mind. These type of stories focused on governments restricting people's liberties and freedoms in an effort to have total social control. Authors like Huxley and Orwell most likely could not conceptualize the idea of global nuclear warfare. However, after World War II and the Manhattan Project, post-apocalpytic novels started to change in accordance with the time period. I found this incredibly interesting because even though "the end of the world notion" is often criticized and disparaged by skeptics, apocalyptic novels still manage to maintain themes that resemble and parallel what is going in the world. I never would have described apocalyptic novels as realistic, but after reading Chad Harbarch's The End I was convinced that this genre has a lot to offer for people who are trying to explore the fantasy side of literature while still learning about history and repercussions  (regardless of how far fetched they may be) caused by our previous past actions.