2016-2017 Catalog

FYS 016 Zombies! From Slaves to Cannibals

This seminar explores the zombie's migration from Caribbean folklore to the popular culture of the United States, and its subsequent metamorphoses from passive slave to violent cannibal and figure of infection. This course will examine these transformations through anthropological and literary tests, as well as films and popular culture, from Haiti and the United States. It will take an interdisciplinary approach, examining the zombie as religious, scientific, social, and historical phenomenon. The goal of this seminar is to study how monstrous beings serve as imaginary manifestations of cultural realities.

Instructor

Swanson