Reading the Great American Zombie

<p> Challenging the human understanding of life and death the zombie figure represents a fragmentation of personhood. From its earliest appearances in literature the zombie characterized a human being that was no longer an indivisible whole embodying the ontological debate over which elements of personhood are most uniquely human.</p><p> Through its literary evolution the zombie's missing element gradually approached a finer definition as narratives moved beyond highlighting metaphysically opaque concepts like soul or will. Studying over a century of American literary history this book explores how zombies translate cultural concepts and definitions of personhood. Chapters detail how literary zombies have long presented narratives of American cultural self-examination.</p>