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Monstret som människa: Den populärkulturella zombien, sjukdom och andrafiering i 2000-talets litteratur.

Monster as man: the other, sickness and the modern zombie in popular literature

På svenska

Author

  • Smilla Sundén Pettersson

Summary, in English

This paper explores identity, personhood and sickness through a postcolonial lens in regards to the literary pop-cultural zombie in the 21st century. The zombie figure is studied in regards to theories of "the other" and "othering" as well as sociological and literary theories about illness, the paper thus falls within the field of medical humanities. Questions about identity, self, personhood and control are raised within the framework of medical humanities and postcolonialism. The key works studied are The Girl With all the Gifts by MC. Carey and Warm Bodies Isaac Marion, the two works are both compared and studied separately. The Walking Dead by Robert Kirkman et. al functions as a framework for the traditional pop-cultural zombie.

Summary, in English

This paper explores identity, personhood and sickness through a postcolonial lens in regards to the literary pop-cultural zombie in the 21st century. The zombie figure is studied in regards to theories of "the other" and "othering" as well as sociological and literary theories about illness, the paper thus falls within the field of medical humanities. Questions about identity, self, personhood and control are raised within the framework of medical humanities and postcolonialism. The key works studied are The Girl With all the Gifts by MC. Carey and Warm Bodies Isaac Marion, the two works are both compared and studied separately. The Walking Dead by Robert Kirkman et. al functions as a framework for the traditional pop-cultural zombie.

Department/s

  • Master's Programme: Literature - Culture - Media

Publishing year

2025

Language

Swedish

Full text

Document type

Student publication for Master's degree (two years)

Topic

  • Languages and Literatures

Keywords

  • Zombies
  • medical humanities
  • medicinsk humaniora
  • humaniora
  • post colonialism
  • postkolonialism
  • popculture
  • populärlitteratur
  • litteratur
  • popular literature
  • sickness
  • illness
  • Frantz Fanon
  • Susan Sontag
  • the other
  • othering
  • voodoo
  • colonialism
  • kolonialism
  • sjukdom
  • body
  • the body
  • identity
  • identitet
  • mänsklighet
  • humanity
  • personhood
  • The Walking Dead
  • zombie
  • The girl With all the Gifts
  • Warm Bodies
  • MC. Carey
  • Isaac Marion
  • Robert Kirkman
  • monsters
  • monsters in literature
  • monster i litteraturen
  • Arthur W. Frank
  • the wounded storyteller
  • Illness as Metaphor
  • AIDS
  • consumption
  • konsumtion
  • tuberkulos
  • tuberculosis
  • corona
  • COVID-19
  • disability
  • disability studies
  • funktionsnedsättning
  • funktionsvariation
  • social model of disability
  • social model

Supervisor

  • Katarina Bernhardsson (Ph.D.)