Introduction
Inside Zack Snyder’s “Dawn of the Dead” is a group of survivors dealing with a sudden outbreak that turns humans into flesh-eating zombies. The survivors hide in a mall, trying to stay safe and away from the outbreak happening behind closed doors and conflict among themselves. This examines the mental and behavioral factors that drive characters’ choices in a post-apocalyptic world that has been overrun by zombies and the way they react to a shortage of resources and threats. By investigating the effects of shortages and their results, this essay will explore the way personal corruption, selfish behavior, and societal breakdown contribute to impulsive choices when confronted with challenging situations and explore how these themes within the film reflect the broader cultural and social issues.
In Zack Snyder’s “Dawn of the Dead,” psychological and emotional elements like dread, desperation, and survival instincts play a significant role in the decision-making processes of the protagonists in a post-apocalyptic world. Throughout the movie, their rash decisions and actions are influenced by the zombies’ threats and lack of resources. Ana, one of the protagonists, exhibits dread and desperation while attempting to survive in the post-apocalyptic world. When questioned in one scene about her decision to move out of her house, Ana responds, “I didn’t want to be alone anymore” (Snyder 2004 np). This demonstrates her intense desire for company and her fear of being alone. The dread of being alone can cause people to make snap decisions as they look for protection and comfort in groups, as Jordan Laub explores in her paper “The Modern Zombie and Islamophobia” (Laub np).
Michael, another main character, personifies survival instincts since he puts his own well-being before that of others. Michael says, “Why is everyone looking at me?” as pondering whether to aid a survivor outside the mall. I’m not the Red Cross, you idiot! (Snyder 2004 np). This comment illustrates Michael’s self-centered behavior and his contempt for others’ well-being. Scarcity of resources can lead to selfishness and disintegration of societal ideals, which Maloyed and Williams highlight in their examination of personal corruption in post-apocalyptic films (Maloyed and Williams 2020, p. 47). The protagonists’ hasty decisions reflect the film’s more significant cultural and socioeconomic challenges. In her work “Rigor/Mortis: The Industrial Life of Style in American Zombie Cinema,” Meghan Sutherland claims that zombies are often used as symbols of moral decay and societal breakdown in post-apocalyptic films (Sutherland 2007 p. 65). The lack of supplies and the zombie menace highlight the characters’ internal conflicts, reflecting the difficulties and fears of a society in crisis.
Notably, the lack of food, water, and shelter has a significant effect on the protagonists’ actions and choices in “Dawn of the Dead.” Due to their limited access to these necessary supplies, the characters’ desperation and survival instincts are revealed, causing them to make snap judgments that are frequently unethical. Carroll (2012, p. 397) argues that protagonists in post-apocalyptic films are likelier to take chances because they have to deal with limited resources and higher danger. In “Dawn of the Dead,” the characters’ scarcity of resources leads to their immoral actions. For example, when supplies run low, Tucker suggests going for extra guns and ammunition at the gun store, stating, “We need it for food, water, whatever we need” (Snyder 2004 np). This text exemplifies how characters prioritize survival over morality and make rash judgments due to scarcity.
The fear of scarcity is not just tied to physical demands but also to the perceived threat from the ‘other’ (zombies), as suggested by Laub’s investigation of Islamophobia in zombie narratives (Laub, np). In order to ensure their own safety, the characters put the group’s needs last. It has been argued that the disintegration of society in post-apocalyptic scenarios leads to irrational and ethically dubious behavior, a point that is reflected in “Dawn of the Dead” (Maloyed and Williams 2020, p. 50). Conflicts between people heat up when resources are few, and it can make some people do things that are questionable from a moral standpoint. Scarcity-driven decisions may reflect more considerable cultural worries and societal issues, as suggested by Wetmore’s analysis of remakes as marks of their times (Wetmore 2011 np).
In “Dawn of the Dead,” the protagonists’ rash choices are caused mainly by the collapse of post-apocalyptic society’s rules and institutions. Wetmore (2011 np) has pointed out that zombie movies frequently capture societal unease and the breakdown of social order. In this movie, the breakdown of social standards leads to rash choices motivated by fear, paranoia, and a basic survival instinct. In a post-apocalyptic society, the absence of law and order produces a vacuum of authority, which allows characters to behave impulsively and without regard to social norms. One instance of the disintegration of moral boundaries is Michael’s choice to lock the zombies within the mall, sacrificing other people’s lives for his own security (Snyder 2004 np). As social systems fall apart, a sense of desperation motivates this rash conduct.
“Dawn of the Dead” is a practical critique of more significant cultural and social concerns set against the backdrop of a zombie apocalypse. Key themes include personal corruption, selfish behavior, and the downfall of society. Snyder employs a metaphor in the film to analyze contemporary socioeconomic problems. The characters’ moral decline and selfish behavior within the mall’s gates represent the perils of consumerism and individualism in the current world. A respite from the zombie apocalypse, the mall becomes a metaphor for consumer society where characters buy irresponsibly (Snyder, 2004, n.p.). This could be read as a scathing critique of the all-too-human propensity to prioritize one’s material needs over those of society. The collapse of social relationships among the survivors is symptomatic of more significant problems with social cohesiveness. Maloyed and Williams argue that the moral vacuum caused by the collapse of traditional social systems is a contributing factor to the rash decisions depicted in post-apocalyptic films (Maloyed and Williams 2020, p.49). The protagonists’ emphasis on self-interest rather than the greater good serves as a subtle commentary on the decline of communal values.
Conclusion
“Dawn of the Dead” provides an engaging analysis of the psychological and emotional ramifications of surviving a zombie apocalypse, as well as the breakdown of social norms and hurried decisions brought on by shortages. The film poses a critique of culture, emphasizing the negative impacts of consumerism, independence, and the breakdown of social cohesion. By means of the struggles faced by its protagonists, the film urges viewers to reflect on contemporary societal concerns, emphasizing the ramifications of prioritizing personal interests over the collective welfare and the malleability of moral foundations during times of turmoil.
Work-Cited
Carroll, Jordan S. “The Aesthetics of Risk in ‘Dawn of the Dead’ and ‘28 Days Later’ on JSTOR.” www.jstor.org Vol. 23, No. 1, Journal of The Fantastic in The Arts, 2012, https://www.jstor.org/stable/24353148?read-now=1#page_scan_tab_contents
Laub, Jordan. “The Modern Zombie and Islamophobia: A Closer Look at Zach Snyder’s Dawn of the Dead. https://emergencejournal.english.ucsb.edu/index.php/author/gia0jung/
Maloyed, Christie L., and J. Kelton Williams. “The Democratic Impulse in Post-Apocalyptic Films.” The Politics of Horror (2020): 47–57. https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-030-42015-4_4
Snyder, Zach. “Dawn of the Dead. 2004.” DVD. Unrated Director’s Cut. Universal Studios (2004).
Sutherland, Meghan. “Rigor/Mortis: The Industrial Life of Style in American Zombie Cinema on JSTOR Framework 48, No. 1, Spring 2007, p. 64-78 https://www.jstor.org/stable/41552479?read-now=1#page_scan_tab_contents
Wetmore, Kevin J., Jr. Back from the Dead: Remakes of the Romero Zombie Films as Markers of Their Times. Jefferson: McFarland, 2011. 244 pp.Softcover. ISBN 978-0-7864-4642-1. https://www.jstor.org/stable/24353093?read-now=1#page_scan_tab_contents
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