The Apocalyptic Strain In Popular Culture Summary

Are you one of those people who thinks the world is going to end any day now? Many people do, and experience it vicariously through television shows like the Walking Dead, which deals with a zombie apocalypse. However, these visions of destruction can also appeal to people as a kind of utopian society, one with perfect or desirable qualities. In his article, The Apocalyptic Strain in Popular Culture, Paul A. Cantor explains that “popular culture has stepped forward to offer Americans a chance to explore these possibilities imaginatively and to rethink the American Dream” (287). Many people in our society have been let down by the American Dream, since it is extremely difficult or impossible to achieve, so this translates into an attraction

It starts out as finding a safe place from the zombies, but later, as the group is more and more confident in their defense against the zombies, it becomes about protecting themselves from other groups of non-zombies. Paul A. Cantor explains in his story that “this show suggests that its characters must ultimately reply on themselves and their own resources. In various flashbacks, we learn that, prior to the zombie plague, the husband and wives were generally unhappy in their marriages, with soap opera consequences.” (290) The greatest example of survival skills on the Walking Dead, comes from a character named Carol. Watching season 1, you would’ve never imagined Carol being alive in season 7. In the beginning, Carol’s character is a beaten down mousy housewife and mother. Her husband was very emotionally and physically abusive. This vicious cycle of abuse left Carol with little self-worth that left her mentally unprepared for survival skills needed in this zombie apocalypse. Carol quickly realizes that she needs to take matters into her own hands and makes tough decisions that no one in the group will. She eventually becomes so passionate about self-preservation that she starts teaching knife skills to children in their group. Another example of how ruthless her survival skills evolved, she takes a murderess child to the field and tells her “look at the pretty flowers,” and then shoots her in the back of the