Disensitized By Zombies: Dawn of the Dead

In Dawn of the Dead humans become extremely desensitized in the strive for survival against zombies. As in other media of this genre, zombies eradicate normal human behavior and social mores through ramped destruction of societies. The zombie attack in Dawn of the Dead was not different. The zombies attack as people are going about their day to day activities and the individuals who do not react are the ones who do not survive. The people who immediately asses the inescapable situation and remove themselves from what was once socially acceptable do what ever is necessary to survive. They draw a distinct difference between what is human and what is zombie. They kill zombies with disregard in any way that they can. Again, social mores are eradicated. New social structures are quickly built among survivors who are willing to do what ever it takes to sustain themselves. Brutal tactics to kill zombies become acceptable and encouraged in a way that would never be possible among other humans. It becomes as basic of an instinct and necessity as acquiring food to suffice one's hunger. These instinctual survival skills are awoken from the depths of human instincts as quickly as the dead have risen. The ones who except and harness these instincts begin to ban together. The strength in numbers improves their chance for survival.

Among the group of survivors, new social structures are created. Being back animals by nature, humans quickly establish a social hierarchy among themselves. There is a need for leaders, followers, providers and brute force. As in any newly established order, authority is challenged. The gun in Dawn of the Dead becomes the symbol and power of the leader and it is fought for among the group. This infighting is created by the constant stress of the inescapable fear of the zombie attack. People begin to grow weary over entrusting there life in just one individual who calls the shots. This infighting is usually the doom of the survival group in a zombie attack. Instead of utilizing each individuals resources and focusing on killing the zombies, they become preoccupied with the politics of the group.

When the group becomes preoccupied by social conflict among themselves, the lines of what has newly become socially acceptable are blurred. The hatred and fear of the zombies manifests itself within the group conflict. The zombies keep multiplying and will not stop. Once the infighting has risen to a breaking point, the mores of the small survival group begin to erode. The individuals become paranoid that a weaker member might doom the group, or that some one's quest for survival may become so strong that they would not tell the group if they were infected. Now the zombies have truly won.

This is quit similar to what happens at the end of Dawn of the Dead. The group becomes paranoid that Ben may be a zombie. All of the brutal killing of the zombies, which shortly before were friends, family, coworkers, human, completely desensitized individuals to killing and the dead. The dead no longer hold a position of something that should be morned, dealt with care, and honored. They are just in the way of survival. The brutality and bodies pile higher and higher until it becomes normal. Nothing will stand in the way of survival. This is why Ben's murder at the end of Dawn of the Dead is not shocking. The social structure that the group created and acknowledged as acceptable behavior becomes blurred by conflict and paranoia. Even just the potential threat that Ben may jeopardize that by turning into a zombie was enough for him to be shot without remorse and for his body to be dealt with like a rapid dog, tossed upon a heap of corpses to be burned.

Zombie attacks are inescapably dooming. Human beings establish a social hierarchy in a quest for some sort of normalcy and functionality. Still, humans are inherently greedy, and power hungry. Social structures will break down in the absence of a voice of reason and mediation. The zombies will win one way or the other. One can not help but wonder who in the group became worried that they might be next to be shot on suspicion, and the destruction of social structure by the zombie attack continues down to the last survivor.