From horror to horror. Allegorical nature of zombie-centred literary narratives in political, economic, and social perspective. Cover Image

Z horroru w horror. Alegoryczność literackich narracji zom-biecentrycznych w perspektywie politycznej, społecznej i ekonomicznej
From horror to horror. Allegorical nature of zombie-centred literary narratives in political, economic, and social perspective.

Author(s): Ksenia Olkusz
Subject(s): Literary Texts, Studies of Literature
Published by: Wydział Polonistyki Uniwersytetu Warszawskiego
Keywords: zombie; alegoria; literatura; ekonomia; horror; zombie; allegorical; literature; economy; horror;

Summary/Abstract: The current vogue for zombie is spreading. The zombie pandemic has affected various dimensions of human life manifesting itself in the sphere of entertainment as well as in economic and social discourse. The epidemic character of this term can be noticed in the language usage, in which it has become a catch-all which signifies a person whose appearance, lack of physical coordination and emotional numbness constitute an opportunity to be compared to a walking dead. Anthropophagy, which has become a part of the zombie topos, seems to have many different meanings that refer not only to a cultural taboo, but also to some external aspects which can be defined as a prefiguration of corporations craving for profits, banks devouring borrowers or immigrants rushing at the gates of alleged European paradise. The theme of zombie may also appear in a psychological and sociological perspective. It can be related to such phobias of civilization as economic collapse, disintegration of human relationships and state structures, or global development of corporation-based system. All these elements make up an allegoric meaning of zombie characters and provoke reflection on how the artistic potential of this theme can be exploited.

  • Issue Year: 2016
  • Issue No: 6 (9)
  • Page Range: 171-185
  • Page Count: 15
  • Language: Polish