(De)Compositions of the physical and social body: The emergence of the zombie in contemporary U.S. fiction
Autor(a) principal: | |
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Data de Publicação: | 2013 |
Tipo de documento: | Artigo |
Idioma: | por |
Título da fonte: | Gragoatá |
Texto Completo: | https://periodicos.uff.br/gragoata/article/view/32942 |
Resumo: | One of the most popular monsters of the contemporary period, the zombie is composed as a privileged significant to capture the anxieties of the early 21st century. Originated in the travel narratives of Haitian explorers in the early 20th century, and then acquiring the status of major creature in recent horror cinema, the zombie has been serving as an allegory for American authors to explore discussions about the limits of civilization, the body and the notion of self. This work focuses on two essential novels which help to understand the zombie as a symbol of the (de)composition of the contemporary world. The first is Zone One, by Colson Whitehead, which shows the attempt to reconstruct New York City after it is infested by these gruesome creatures. The novel also introduces a very peculiar and complex variation of the zombie: the "straggler". The second work discussed in this article is World War Z, by Max Brooks, which delineates a mosaic of characters and narrates the events of a global war against zombies that nearly destroyed humanity. Both novels analyze, in their narratives, how the zombie problematizes notions of otherness, in that it is a creature devoid of subjectivity that, nevertheless, still holds traces of humanity. Furthermore, the living dead serve as an example of the concept of the "uncanny" (unheimlich), as devised by Freud. Thus, the present article aims to investigate the ascension of the zombie as a metaphor for the contemporary moment in U.S. literature, while discussing how this hideous monster serves as a representation of 21st century zeitgeist. |
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(De)Compositions of the physical and social body: The emergence of the zombie in contemporary U.S. fiction(De)Composições do corpo físico e social: a emergência do zumbi na ficção norte-americana contemporâneaZombiemonstercontemporary U.S. literaturezumbimonstroliteratura norte-americana contemporâneaOne of the most popular monsters of the contemporary period, the zombie is composed as a privileged significant to capture the anxieties of the early 21st century. Originated in the travel narratives of Haitian explorers in the early 20th century, and then acquiring the status of major creature in recent horror cinema, the zombie has been serving as an allegory for American authors to explore discussions about the limits of civilization, the body and the notion of self. This work focuses on two essential novels which help to understand the zombie as a symbol of the (de)composition of the contemporary world. The first is Zone One, by Colson Whitehead, which shows the attempt to reconstruct New York City after it is infested by these gruesome creatures. The novel also introduces a very peculiar and complex variation of the zombie: the "straggler". The second work discussed in this article is World War Z, by Max Brooks, which delineates a mosaic of characters and narrates the events of a global war against zombies that nearly destroyed humanity. Both novels analyze, in their narratives, how the zombie problematizes notions of otherness, in that it is a creature devoid of subjectivity that, nevertheless, still holds traces of humanity. Furthermore, the living dead serve as an example of the concept of the "uncanny" (unheimlich), as devised by Freud. Thus, the present article aims to investigate the ascension of the zombie as a metaphor for the contemporary moment in U.S. literature, while discussing how this hideous monster serves as a representation of 21st century zeitgeist.Um dos mais populares monstros do período contemporâneo, o zumbi se configura como significante privilegiado para captar as ansiedades do início do século XXI. Surgido nas narrativas de viagem de exploradores do Haiti no início do século XX, e depois adquirindo status de principal criatura do cinema de horror da atualidade, o zumbi vem servindo como alegoria para autores da literatura norte-americana tematizarem discussões sobre os limites da civilização, do corpo, e da própria noção de self. O presente trabalho se concentra em dois romances essenciais para melhor compreender o zumbi como símbolo da (de)composição do mundo contemporâneo. O primeiro é Zone One, de Colson Whitehead, que mostra a tentativa de reconstrução da cidade de Nova York após a infestação da cidade pelas criaturas. O romance também apresenta uma variação bastante peculiar e complexa do zumbi: o straggler. A segunda obra aqui discutida é Guerra Mundial Z, de Max Brooks, que traça um mosaico de personagens e narra os acontecimentos de uma guerra contra zumbis que praticamente extinguiu a humanidade. Os dois romances discutem, em suas narrativas, como o zumbi problematiza noções de alteridade por ser uma criatura despida de subjetividade, mas que ainda assim preserva traços humanos. Além disso, os mortos-vivos servem como exemplo máximo para o conceito de "estranho" (unheimlich), como analisado por Freud. Assim sendo, este trabalho pretende investigar a ascensão do zumbi como metáfora do momento atual na literatura norte-americana contemporânea e discutir como esse monstro tão assustador serve como representação do zeitgeist deste início de século.Universidade Federal Fluminense2013-12-31info:eu-repo/semantics/articleinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersionAvaliado pelos paresapplication/pdfhttps://periodicos.uff.br/gragoata/article/view/3294210.22409/gragoata.v18i35.32942Gragoatá; Vol. 18 No. 35 (2013): Contemporary textuality of ruin and resistanceGragoatá; v. 18 n. 35 (2013): Textualidades contemporâneas de ruína e resistência2358-41141413-907310.22409/gragoata.v18i35reponame:Gragoatáinstname:Universidade Federal Fluminense (UFF)instacron:UFFporhttps://periodicos.uff.br/gragoata/article/view/32942/18929Copyright (c) 2019 Gragoatáinfo:eu-repo/semantics/openAccessGomes, Anderson Soares2019-08-23T10:54:32Zoai:ojs.pkp.sfu.ca:article/32942Revistahttps://periodicos.uff.br/gragoataPUBhttps://periodicos.uff.br/gragoata/oai||revistagragoata@gmail.com2358-41141413-9073opendoar:2019-08-23T10:54:32Gragoatá - Universidade Federal Fluminense (UFF)false |
dc.title.none.fl_str_mv |
(De)Compositions of the physical and social body: The emergence of the zombie in contemporary U.S. fiction (De)Composições do corpo físico e social: a emergência do zumbi na ficção norte-americana contemporânea |
title |
(De)Compositions of the physical and social body: The emergence of the zombie in contemporary U.S. fiction |
spellingShingle |
(De)Compositions of the physical and social body: The emergence of the zombie in contemporary U.S. fiction Gomes, Anderson Soares Zombie monster contemporary U.S. literature zumbi monstro literatura norte-americana contemporânea |
title_short |
(De)Compositions of the physical and social body: The emergence of the zombie in contemporary U.S. fiction |
title_full |
(De)Compositions of the physical and social body: The emergence of the zombie in contemporary U.S. fiction |
title_fullStr |
(De)Compositions of the physical and social body: The emergence of the zombie in contemporary U.S. fiction |
title_full_unstemmed |
(De)Compositions of the physical and social body: The emergence of the zombie in contemporary U.S. fiction |
title_sort |
(De)Compositions of the physical and social body: The emergence of the zombie in contemporary U.S. fiction |
author |
Gomes, Anderson Soares |
author_facet |
Gomes, Anderson Soares |
author_role |
author |
dc.contributor.author.fl_str_mv |
Gomes, Anderson Soares |
dc.subject.por.fl_str_mv |
Zombie monster contemporary U.S. literature zumbi monstro literatura norte-americana contemporânea |
topic |
Zombie monster contemporary U.S. literature zumbi monstro literatura norte-americana contemporânea |
description |
One of the most popular monsters of the contemporary period, the zombie is composed as a privileged significant to capture the anxieties of the early 21st century. Originated in the travel narratives of Haitian explorers in the early 20th century, and then acquiring the status of major creature in recent horror cinema, the zombie has been serving as an allegory for American authors to explore discussions about the limits of civilization, the body and the notion of self. This work focuses on two essential novels which help to understand the zombie as a symbol of the (de)composition of the contemporary world. The first is Zone One, by Colson Whitehead, which shows the attempt to reconstruct New York City after it is infested by these gruesome creatures. The novel also introduces a very peculiar and complex variation of the zombie: the "straggler". The second work discussed in this article is World War Z, by Max Brooks, which delineates a mosaic of characters and narrates the events of a global war against zombies that nearly destroyed humanity. Both novels analyze, in their narratives, how the zombie problematizes notions of otherness, in that it is a creature devoid of subjectivity that, nevertheless, still holds traces of humanity. Furthermore, the living dead serve as an example of the concept of the "uncanny" (unheimlich), as devised by Freud. Thus, the present article aims to investigate the ascension of the zombie as a metaphor for the contemporary moment in U.S. literature, while discussing how this hideous monster serves as a representation of 21st century zeitgeist. |
publishDate |
2013 |
dc.date.none.fl_str_mv |
2013-12-31 |
dc.type.driver.fl_str_mv |
info:eu-repo/semantics/article info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion Avaliado pelos pares |
format |
article |
status_str |
publishedVersion |
dc.identifier.uri.fl_str_mv |
https://periodicos.uff.br/gragoata/article/view/32942 10.22409/gragoata.v18i35.32942 |
url |
https://periodicos.uff.br/gragoata/article/view/32942 |
identifier_str_mv |
10.22409/gragoata.v18i35.32942 |
dc.language.iso.fl_str_mv |
por |
language |
por |
dc.relation.none.fl_str_mv |
https://periodicos.uff.br/gragoata/article/view/32942/18929 |
dc.rights.driver.fl_str_mv |
Copyright (c) 2019 Gragoatá info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess |
rights_invalid_str_mv |
Copyright (c) 2019 Gragoatá |
eu_rights_str_mv |
openAccess |
dc.format.none.fl_str_mv |
application/pdf |
dc.publisher.none.fl_str_mv |
Universidade Federal Fluminense |
publisher.none.fl_str_mv |
Universidade Federal Fluminense |
dc.source.none.fl_str_mv |
Gragoatá; Vol. 18 No. 35 (2013): Contemporary textuality of ruin and resistance Gragoatá; v. 18 n. 35 (2013): Textualidades contemporâneas de ruína e resistência 2358-4114 1413-9073 10.22409/gragoata.v18i35 reponame:Gragoatá instname:Universidade Federal Fluminense (UFF) instacron:UFF |
instname_str |
Universidade Federal Fluminense (UFF) |
instacron_str |
UFF |
institution |
UFF |
reponame_str |
Gragoatá |
collection |
Gragoatá |
repository.name.fl_str_mv |
Gragoatá - Universidade Federal Fluminense (UFF) |
repository.mail.fl_str_mv |
||revistagragoata@gmail.com |
_version_ |
1799705499746172928 |