Anti-Exceptionalism in "The Walking Dead"

Term Paper , 2012 , 15 Pages , Grade: 2,3

American Studies - Culture and Applied Geography

First of all there will be a general overview of the myth of American exceptionalism. To properly analyze the show then and prove that it is not just another narrative that glorifies American exceptionalism and its perpetuation, but actually depicts a stance which stands in stark contrast to this myth, some of the exposed key elements from the myth of American exceptionalism will be taken and juxtaposed in opposition to some significant scenes from the television series.

Table of Contents

• I. Introduction
  • A. The Myth of American Exceptionalism
  • B. Anti-Exceptionalism in "The Walking Dead"
    • 1 Symbols
    • 2 Western
    • 3 Higher Law
    • 4 Frontier Thesis
• II. Conclusion
• III. Bibliography

Objectives and Key Themes

This paper analyzes the television series "The Walking Dead" and its portrayal of American exceptionalism. It aims to demonstrate that the show, despite its seemingly heroic narrative, subverts the myth of American exceptionalism by highlighting its contradictions and limitations.

• The Myth of American Exceptionalism and its historical roots
• The portrayal of American exceptionalism in "The Walking Dead"
• The role of the zombie trope in critiquing American society
• The Western genre and its relationship to American exceptionalism
• The show's exploration of themes of survival, community, and morality

Chapter Summaries

The introduction provides a brief overview of the show "The Walking Dead" and its popularity, setting the context for the paper's analysis. It establishes the connection between the show and the zombie trope as a metaphor for societal anxieties. The chapter then introduces the concept of American exceptionalism and its various interpretations.

Keywords

The main keywords and focus topics of the text include: American exceptionalism, "The Walking Dead," zombie trope, Western genre, post-apocalyptic fiction, societal anxieties, survival, community, morality.

• College: Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nuremberg (Institut für Amerikanistik)
• Course: Contemporary American Television Series
• Grade: 2,3
• Author: Matthias Köbrich (Author)
• Publication Year: 2012
• Pages: 15
• Catalog Number: V231867
• ISBN (eBook): 9783656481133
• ISBN (Book): 9783656480976
• Language: English
• Tags: anti-exceptionalism, walking, dead