Undying Fascination with the Undead: What Monsters—Especially Zombies—Teach us About Ourselves

There is no one, undead or alive, who doesn't know about zombies. The mythology of zombies dates back to Haiti in the 17th and 18th centuries, but the living dead continue to rise in film, television, and, of course, during Halloween. 

Spirit Halloween unveiled 2022's top Halloween costume trends. It is no surprise that decomposing, man-eating zombies are being devoured by revelers who celebrate the holiday.

According to Cal State East Bay's Chair of Philosophy & Religious Studies and zombie aficionado Christopher Moreman, these monsters embody the great contemporary fear—that we'll soon be encircled by ravenous strangers, with only what we have in our hands, if anything, to defend ourselves. Compare that with meeting a witch or werewolf. Which would you choose? 

The visceral reaction of tensing up, heart racing, eyes squinting, wanting to see what happens next and fearing it is what had Moreman transfixed by zombie horror at a young age. He took his fascination and turned it into a career, researching death and dying. 

"Generally, monsters show us what we might fear as a society, and one of the greatest fears that our society has is a fear of death," said Moreman. "Americans' approach to death is to deny it completely and to avoid it at all costs, but the zombie unapologetically forces us to confront and consider death. Zombies are literal embodiments of death coming to get us."

Monster derives from the Latin word monstrare, meaning to demonstrate and monere, to warn. They reveal, show and teach us something. 

"If you were to look at any piece of zombie fiction, the first impression is that the zombies are the problem," said Moreman. "But for the people who remain — the biggest problem to their survival is other people. It's not the zombies. If the protagonists would stick together, they would have a much better chance of survival than they do fighting amongst themselves."

Moreman says monsters reflect how we, en masse, perceive the world. If you study the beast, you can learn about the time, place and feelings of the culture that created it. As cultures change, monsters will change. 

While Moreman doesn't celebrate Halloween himself, he admits he will likely stay home, watch some horror flicks and, as a true academic, study and learn about what they are trying to teach us.