"Contagious Allegories"

In his essay "Contagious Allegories," Steven Shaviro analyzes the role of the zombie in George Romero's movies Night of the Living Dead, Dawn of the Dead, and Day of the Dead. Shaviro makes some interesting connections between Romero's zombie movies and our culture. According to Shaviro zombies represent a rebellion against capitalism by the incapability to provide a positive contribution to the economy. Shaviro writes: "They figure a social process that no longer serves rationalized ends, but has taken on a strange and sinister life of its own" (84). The zombies represent a removal from anything rational which is why the can be so frightening.
Shaviro also discusses the roles white males and minorities play in Romero's movies. Shaviro believes that Romero is using minority characters to critique the white men and makes the typical Hollywood hero appear to be stupid and dysfunctional. In contrast with most movies, Romero has minorities and women in roles that are strong and play important roles in all three of his movies. While most men are depicted negatively and when they die it is because of their own character flaws. Women and minorities however are “thoughtful, resourceful, and tenacious” which helps them survive in each of the movies (88). Shaviro also believes Romero is critiquing other issues in our culture such as middle class consumerism and consumption.

In each of Romero's movies the zombies come to symbolize something different. In Night of the Living Dead the zombies represent “a repressed by-product of dominant American culture” (96). In Dawn of the Dead zombies represent a double standard held in American culture. Lastly in Day of the Dead zombies become a revolutionary force.

Throughout Shaviro's essay he makes big claims about the allegorical use of Zombies in each of Romero's films but I wonder how much of this was intentionally placed into the movies and how much is just over-analyzing.