MAPACA

Mid-Atlantic Popular &
American Culture Association

A hero is someone “who is admired for great or brave acts or fine qualities” (“hero”). In a subhuman world, every woman and man must become a hero in order to survive. In Robert Kirkman’s The Walking Dead, man-eating zombies overrun the world. My paper will examine the first compendium of the series. In such a hostile environment, the domestic sphere, theoretically, would diminish significantly. However, it is in these domestic areas where the most casualties occur. This is particularly true of women and places who/which follow classically defined domestic roles. Rick Grimes and crew face an attack after finding temporary safety at Hershel’s farm, a family homestead that is stuck in the pre-apocalyptic state of mind. In the discovery of a prison the survivors believe they have found a safe haven, which remains true for a brief time. It is here that I wish to examine the specific domestic roles in the post-apocalyptic world. Lori Grimes, Rick’s wife, becomes pregnant. Although the medical care is barely available, Lori makes it safely through childbirth. However, fellow survivors who invade the prison kill her and her newborn, Judith. Carol, another of the original members of Rick’s clan, becomes despondent and depressed after her boyfriend, Tyreese, cheats on her. She decides to allow herself to be attacked by zombies, leaving behind her daughter. On the other hand, Michonne, the woman whom Tyreese has an affair with, the proverbial other woman, is captured and raped by the Govenor, but ultimately survives her captivity and the prison attack. Andrea, another of the original members, becomes a sharpshooter, a traditionally male role, and also survives through the end of the first compendium. The Walking Dead turns traditional domestic spaces and traditional domestic roles into liabilities to the characters who occupy them.