Over the last decades, zombies have been a trendy element of pop culture. They continuously appear in books, movies and TV shows, video games, and even parades and festivals. These days, almost every teenager knows what to do in case of a sudden zombie apocalypse, and even some serious military groupings are prepared for it. In films and literature, zombies exist in the post-apocalyptic environment, and the survivors have to hide in forests and underground shelters. The book Pride and Prejudice and Zombies by Seth Grahame-Smith destroys all the traditions and takes on a truly unique approach to both romance novels and modern zombie fiction.
Synopsis
The general plot remains the same as the original—except for an outbreak of zombies that England has been suffering for more than fifty years. The strange plague is believed to have been brought by merchant ships from distant lands and has changed the lifestyle of the English people dramatically. Whereas Mrs. Bennet’s primary focus is still to get her daughters married, Mr. Bennet is concerned with their survival, training them in swordsmanship, musketry, and other martial arts. Young ladies do not leave the house without a weapon and engage in bloody battles against zombies in between balls and tea parties.
Grahame-Smith has kept most of the original text while adding some “zombie material” and paraphrasing the classic and well-known lines from the book. Thus, the opening of the first chapter that initially went on about the obligation of a single man in possession of a good fortune to seek a wife, became: “It is a truth universally acknowledged that a zombie in possession of brains must be in want of more brains” (Austen, Grahame-Smith, 2009, p. 7). Uncommon as it is, the book is not presented as an entirely new story, but as an extended edition of the famous romantic novel.
Zombies of the Past
Zombies described in the book are called the unmentionables and, to the greatest extent, correspond to the classic image introduced by George A. Romero (Rafferty, 2011, para. 1). The creatures in Grahame-Smith’s book are dead bodies with different degrees of decay. They move more quickly than typical zombies yet are clumsy. The unmentionables craves human flesh, spread contamination with a bite, and can be killed by beheading and burning. Unlike the canonical zombies, the freshest of them can speak, and when they do, it is the most sophisticated Austen-type language. In this story, people have already become accustomed to the fact of a zombie outbreak and developed a relevant lifestyle. They surround their homes with high walls and travel to Japan and China to learn martial arts. While getting ready for a ball or any other social outing, the sisters not only corset and powder themselves but, as well, sharpen their daggers and hide them underneath the fine gowns. Since dances tend to end in attacks of the unmentionables, such measures should not be ignored. With the new reality come new demands for young people in Regency-era society. Mr. Bingley is being admired because of his handsomeness, good nature, and wealth, yet Mr. Darcy is considered a more alluring husband because of his famous zombie-killing abilities. Young ladies, on their part, must be as proficient in deadly arts as they usually are in singing, dancing, and drawing. Elizabeth Bennet, who was trained in Shaolin, charms Mr. Darcy with her beauty and fighting skills. He later confesses that he has known only one woman who used the dagger with the same grace.
Zombie as a Metaphor
The idea of integrating various supernatural forces and creatures into the everyday life of our world has been popular within sci-fi and fantasy novels and movies for the last decades. Among other trends, the idea of zombies is becoming more and more mainstream. The growing fascination with these particular creatures is found curious by many social scientists. While supernatural beings such as vampires, ghosts, and werewolves do represent a certain kind of danger, they are still intelligent and may secretly coexist with humans. Zombies, however, represent violent, uncontrollable masses that spread quickly and lead to the elimination of the human race. Drezner (2014) states in his research: “Popular culture often provides a window into the subliminal or unstated fear of citizens” (p. 71). Zombies as a metaphor combine the most relevant concerns of society, such as deadly epidemics, blood viruses like AIDS, terrorist attacks, drug addiction, and natural disasters. He adds that zombies are the perfect menace of our century, as “they are not well understood by serious analysts, they possess protean capabilities, and the challenges they pose to states are very, very grave” (Drezner, 2014, p. 79).
In his investigation of zombies in popular culture, Kyle William Bishop (2015) claims that the living dead became symbols for the working class, “who have been dehumanized by brutal working conditions, hunger, and poverty” (p. 17). By many scholars, zombies are seen as a universal metaphor, applicable to every story. It does not matter what particular contemporary threat they represent, they will always be timely and relevant. A “living dead” is a being with no will and no morals, capable of harming the people it once loved and cared for. In a way, it is a manifestation of destructive ideology and brainwashing. Craving for human flesh pictures both violence and uncontrolled consumerism, a realistic and topical issue of the capitalistic society. As a trend in popular culture, zombies point to the anxieties of the modern world. At first, these creatures would shock audiences “because of their unfamiliar appearance” but “today they are even more shocking because of their familiarity” (Bishop, 2015, p. 17).
The decision to bring zombies to a classic romantic novel does not seem to highlight any global or social issue and looks more like a chemical experiment: to combine two strange elements and see what happens. As it turned out, a zombie outbreak fits the plot perfectly. With her independence, intelligence, and wit—combined with excellent combat skills—Elizabeth can be a perfect female protagonist for any young-adult post-apocalyptic novel. Zombie attacks explain why Netherfield Park is empty, and what the military detachment is doing in the English countryside of the time. In her novel, Jane Austen focused on the problems of class, marriage, upbringing, and morality. Once again, zombies or unmentionables prove to be a universal metaphor. They represent everything the upper-class society despises about peasants: improper manners, lack of education, and a lack of elegance. Darcy does not like entertainment like singing and dancing because, in his view, these days even zombies can do it. A successful marriage is essential for the well-being of a young lady of the time. Originally, Charlotte Lucas decided to marry Mr. Collins as she thought she was doomed to remain unmarried forever and be a burden to her family. Here she is doomed by the plague and needs someone who can behead her when the time comes.
Combining a beloved classic book about love and morality with violent zombie fiction was an unconventional and truly brave idea. Although some devoted Austen fans might be insulted by such treatment, the book turns out to be a fresh and funny representation of the famous story.
References
Austen, J., Grahame-Smith, S. (2009) Pride and Prejudice and Zombies. Philadelphia: Quirk Books.
Bishop, K. W. (2015) How Zombies Conquered Popular Culture: The Multifarious Walking Dead in the 21st Century. Jefferson NC: McFarland.
Drezner, D. W. (2014) Theories of International Politics and Zombies: Revived Edition. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press.
Rafferty, T. (2011) The State of Zombie Literature: An Autopsy. Web.