Lewis 1

Robert Lewis Professor Lynda Haas Writing 37 23 November 2013 World War Z: A Rhetorical Analysis of the Zombie War

New York Times bestseller World War Z: An Oral History of The Zombie War, observes the zombie war from a variety of perspectives twelve years after the war was won. The satirical, epistolary novel follows The Interviewer, whose name is not given, as he consults various survivors on their experiences during the outbreak, the great panic, the war, and the subsequent reconstruction. The novel was written by Max Brooks, and was published on October 16th of 2007. Barnes and Nobel readers raved over the novel, giving it 4.5/5 stars. Brian Houle of About.com proclaims, Max Brooks' World War Z is a superb addition to the canon of zombie lore. World War Z falls into several genres including science fiction, war, and horror, but it prominently follows the conventions of works in the zombie genre. In Dead Man Still Walking: Explaining the Zombie Renaissance, Kyle Bishop, a literary critic and expert on the zombie genre, explains the criteria the zombie genre will contain. He states that these genre protocols include not only the zombies and the imminent threat of violent deaths, but also a post-apocalyptic backdrop, the collapse of societal infrastructures, the indulgence of survivalist fantasies, and the fear of other surviving humans (20). These protocols that Bishop

Lewis 2

writes about are present throughout the novel and are utilized by Brooks to convey his message about the conflict in the Middle East. Max Brooks narrative about Todd Wainio, is utilized as a medium to present this message. An infantryman who is old before is time (92), Todd Wainio appeals to the audience because of his military background and his apparent wisdom due to the relationship between experience and age. After the September 11th attacks, the American defense budget rose drastically. In 2011 the United States spent approximately $711 billion dollars on defense. This expenditure is matched with 14 other countries consisting of: China, Russia, UK, France, Japan, India, Saudia Arabia, Germany, Brazil, Italy, South Korea, Australia, and Canada, whose cumulative defense budget totaled approximately $695 billion. The superfluous quantities of weapons manufactured by the United States military is a reflection on Americas desire to be acknowledged as a great empire by means of exploiting the fears of other nations. Todd Wainio declares that you dont have to be the Sun freaking Tzu to know that real fighting isnt about killing or even hurting the other guy, its about scarring him enough to call it a day (100) . By insisting that this is common knowledge, this statement causes the audience to accept that the method to win a war is to deplete the enemys morale. Fear is an emotion that is utilized as a deterrent against aggressors. In times of war, fear can cause an attacker to flee or cower which is a reaction desired by any military personal. While striking fear into the adversary is preferred, it is often times not the outcome. This is because fear, like many emotions and obstacles, can be overcome. If an enemy is able to conquer their fears or is not afraid, the tides of war can change. This ideology can be seen when Todd describes an ineffective airstrike the army led, after which the zombies continued to advance on their position. Todd recalls, That was when

Lewis 3

the line collapsed. I dont remember it all at once. I see these flashes: people running, grunts, reporters(100). From this we can conclude that Max Brooks purpose for Todd Wainio is a criticism on the governments exploitation of post 9/11 fears and the subsequent invasion of Iraq. The placement of the war in Yonkers is used by Brooks to allow the audience see in the perspective of Iraqi citizens. Mohammed Abbas Abdul, a grocer with a shop in Baghdad, recalls the city during the first American attacks. He states that It was like some other place. And it was a depressing sight .You saw people walking everywhere carrying looted goods. All kinds of things. When I got into my neighborhood, I found the streets littered with weapons and Iraqi military uniforms (NP). In World War Z, Todd Wainio reflects on the Great Panic stating You remember what it was like, people just freaking outboarding up their houses, stealing food, guns, shooting everything that moved (90). By using America as the battlefield Brooks provokes the feeling of concern in the audience. The people were afraid in Yonkers in the same way the Iraqi people were when the United States invaded. The equipment utilized by the Army is a commentary on the tendency for America to implement force to gain control. The American forces had tanks, Bradleys, Humvees armed with everything from fifty cals to these new Vasilek heavy mortars (91). The list that Todd presents conveys an apparent readiness of the army to the audience. Todd goes on to describe the soldiers in MOPP 4, big bulky suits and masks that are supposed to protect you from a radioactive or biochem environment (95). This acts as an observation of the impractical nature of the items used by the military. The suits, while useful against radiation, fail to protect the soldiers from the imminent zombie threat. The utilization of the impractical armor and failing

Lewis 4

high tech weapons is directly connected to the United States utilization of the shock and awe method during the beginning stages of the Iraq war. According to CNN, The campaign was intended to instill shock and awe among Iraq's leaders, and it was directed at hundreds of targets in Iraq, officials said. Plumes of fire could be seen rising above targets in Baghdad at 1:05 p.m. EST (NP). These weapons that were used in World War Z would, under normal circumstances, induce shock and awe in the enemy. This would quickly resolve the war and restore faith in the American people. However, zombie forces did not fear these weapons and, as a result, the American Military was defeated at Yonkers and the war would continue on for many years following. This is directly related to the way the United States use of shock and awe failed against Iraq leading to a war lasting almost 10 years. In consideration of George Romeros Night of the Living Dead which is a social commentary on racism; texts of the zombie genre have been exposing the defective and contorted nature of society for decades. Whether it be from characters like Breck Scott whose narrative reflects on the use of prescription drugs in America, or Hyungchol Choi, whose comments on the disappearance of North Koreans relate to the uneasiness between North and South Korea today; the fears expressed by the characters in the oral history correlate to modern cultural anxieties and conflicts. World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War uses the accounts of survivors from across the globe to intensify the central convention of fear found throughout texts of the zombie genre.

Lewis 5

Work Cited "A TIMELINE OF THE IRAQ WAR." ThinkProgress RSS. N.p., n.d. Web. 06 Dec. 2013. Bishop, Kyle. Dead Man Still Walking: Explaining the Zombie Renaissance. Journal of Popular Film & Television 37. 2009. Print. Brooks, Max. World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War. New York: Crown, 2006. Print. "From Shock and Awe to Civilian Toll, to Billions in Reconstruction, Vet Health." Democracy Now! N.p., n.d. Web. 07 Dec. 2013. Houle, Brian. "World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War." About.com Contemporary Literature. About.com, n.d. Web. 13 Nov. 2013. Kukis, Mark. "U.S." US What Iraqis Remember About the US Invasion Comments. N.p., 19 Mar. 2013. Web. 07 Dec. 2013. "Night of the Living Dead." IMDb. IMDb.com, n.d. Web. 13 Nov. 2013. Sang-Hun Choe, and Jake Doherty. "In Focus: North Koreas Nuclear Threats."The New York Times. N.p., 12 Apr. 2013. Web. 5 Nov. 2013. "World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War." Barnes & Noble. Barnes & Noble, n.d. Web. 13 Nov. 2013.

Lewis 6