“We’re the same! We’re them!” : representations of gender in The walking dead

Abstract

This thesis examines the representation of gender in AMC’s The Walking Dead. The study of representations is important because it draws attention to underrepresented and misrepresented groups, affects how minorities see themselves, and impacts on relations between social groups. An established convention of the horror genre is that the monster threatens normality. This television show about the survivors of a zombie apocalypse depicts monstrous qualities in the human protagonists as well as their zombie antagonists. This deviation from the convention of only portraying monsters as antagonists situates the show as significantly innovative. My thesis analyses, challenges, and expands upon the current academic discourse surrounding the show. A range of representations requires diverse theoretical and conceptual approaches. I draw upon theories of masculinity, feminism, stereotypes, intersectionality, performativity, disability, doubling and embodiment to interrogate the portrayal of gender, identity, expression, and embodiment in the text. I find intersectionality is a useful analytical tool to explore oppression and discrimination and to help me explore how certain portrayals are privileged over others. I identify and interrogate trends, patterns, and character arcs through my textual analysis of the dialogue and visual representations in the text. I also include contextual, historical, and audience information to ensure a balanced and objective analysis. The first chapter examines the role of the hegemonic white saviour and antihero in the serial. In the second, a marginalised form of white masculinity is studied. The third chapter investigates the treatment of black males, while the fourth relates how white female characters’ performances of femininity affect their chances of survival. The fifth chapter deliberates on whether black female characters can break through stereotypes, and, if so, to what end. In conclusion, I note that TWD reaffirms the societal hierarchy of white men occupying the highest echelons and black women at the base of the hierarchy.