The Walking Dead: other repetitious patterns in literature ROUGH DRAFT

Contrasting The Simpson's Treehouse of Horror and The Walking Dead t.v. series at first seemed... unconventional, to say the least. Being a fan of neither show, nor particularly keen on the latter's subject material, I can't say I held high hopes. As with most things though, I was pleasantly surprised.

The Walking Dead:
- Follows classical trends of Joseph Cambell's the Hero's Journey
     Rick; protagonist, sheriff, ---> "hero"
     Laurie; wife, mother, ---> "damsel in distress" (important to note she is the only female character we are introduced to in this episode)
     Shane: adulterer, protector, ---> "villain"



Important to note that the whole series will probably follow this ark, though each individual episode can see some crossover and continues building on the reoccurring themes. Can we imagine this picture to be anything but a circle?

2nd episode: would it be considered looting? Questioning of morals, Rick "don't think those rules apply anymore, do you?" Tug-o-war between tradition and modernity
binary between right and wrong, good and evil, us and the other? brings into question the very idea of our humanity, (id from dead zombie, crossing his chest saying oh mios dios, still reaching out for human connection or explaination higher than ones self) where are the boundaries of this new world? Capacity for forgiveness (handcuff and key on rooftop, racism)

The Simpsons:
[seems to] follow creative writing's 'story telling curve' in three mini-episodes
Lot's of parody and surprising number of literary references (ex: Hitchcock, Shakespeare, Night of the Living Dead, Nightmare on Elm Street, Creature from the Black Lagoon)