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What Is The Purpose Of Mankind's Ouroboros

Decent Essays

In the essay “Humankind’s Ouroboros”, J. Reagan Tankersley discusses about zombies in the horror genre and how over time they have evolved with society’s fears through evidence from big name zombie films of the time. The original publication of this essay was in a college classroom, though the audience was directed towards someone that understood or had basic knowledge of the zombie films Tankersley chose to use as evidence. So, if someone that picked up his work and had no knowledge of these films, they would already become lost. That is what makes this essay great. Instead of using the space he had to explain every little detail, he pulls towards an advanced audience; that would mean he would only have to slightly touch on the subject and …show more content…

For example, in the third and fourth paragraphs he discusses two films White Zombie (which came out in 1932) and Things to Come (released in 1936) and how the “concept of zombification” and the thought of it being a “viral Plague” sets the concerns in the 1930s to be the “fear of the mystical and fear of the future”. You see the text establishes a very intriguing concept which draws in the reader to want more information on his theory. This also brings the thought that all of this can happen today, especially in the conclusion where he states “We fear what people next to us may be capable of if their reason is taken from them by some man-made virus, unknown pathogen, or something else entirely. We all know that deep down, people are capable of heinous acts, and it is only reason that can stop them. But when reason is lost, human society has every faculty to consume itself.” That statement leaves a heavy message for the reader to think about and it was subconsciously fortified by the evidence Tankersley used during the development …show more content…

The way it targets towards a more knowledgeable audience in the horror genre with the pinpoint examples allows the text to not drag on. Then the work leaves the reader thinking that with the fear of the dead coming back to life, the fear of a viral virus gone wrong, or even the fear of what we ourselves can do when chaos ensues with the underlining message and brings a sense of wonder and thrill, making this piece a must read for any zombie horror

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