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“Zombie flu: How the 1919 influenza pandemic fueled the rise of the living dead” is an article related to Halloween culture and its association with influenza infection. Outka narrates the grim reality caused by the influenza pandemic in 1919. More than fifty million people died of the influenza virus during that time, and millions more were infected. The virus impaired the respiratory and nervous systems causing delirium and violent derangement. In addition to that, the aftermath of the influenza virus was suicidal depression and lethargy. In the United States, bodies piled up everywhere, turning each community into a haunted landscape. As a result, the term “zombie” has been used in literature and film industries since it arrived in the United States in 1929. As unveiled by Outka, the 1919 flu had significant connections to the Halloween culture.
According to the author of this article, the 1919 pandemic fueled the rise of the living dead. The reason is that the United States lost many people to the deadly virus. As the author claimed, the streets were filled with corpses, and only mass funerals could be conducted. The coronavirus has been compared in its mode of distribution to a virus that turns people into “zombies”.
Literature and cinema during that time were linked to zombies, as they depicted the horrifying predicament occasioned by the influenza pandemic. Notably, the literary works of William Seabrook and H.P. Lovecraft have been associated with zombie-like characters. “Night of the Living Dead” is George Romero’s film where the viral zombies try to infect the living (Outka, 2019). Most important, Lovecraft’s corpse-filled tales were triggered by the frightening environment he found himself in during the pandemic.
Zombie narratives, which are discussed in Outka’s article, can be found in anthropological texts. According to Outka’s report, Zombie stories are mostly attributed to influenza virus infections, especially in Haiti. William Seabrook, who gathered several stories and traditions in Haiti, used corpse-like characters in his work, “The Magic Island.” Zombification in Haiti clarifies why most Haitians are not buried underground but rather interred in a concrete tomb (Littlewood, 2009). Another remarkable idea examined by Outka’s article is the severity of the viral infection. Apart from that, Outka (2019) argued that the 1919 virus harmed the nervous system and the respiratory system and could as well lead to chronic delirium. This issue has been noted by Littlewood (2009), who postulated that Zombies in Haiti had chronic mental illnesses, contrary to popular opinions.
Moreover, Outka’s essay articulated the agonizing past that was caused the influenza pandemic. For instance, due to a large number of deaths, it was impossible to organize funerals, and burying people in mass graves was commonplace. According to Singer & Baer (2011), the discovery of painful memory is a significant anthropological aspect of modern communities. As seen in the above examples, there is a special relationship between anthropological sources and the zombie flu article written by Outka.
This article was published on 28th October 2019, a hundred years since the lethal influenza virus. The article was published days before the Halloween season of 2019, which makes the year of publication relevant to the article’s analysis. The article shows a relationship between zombie costumes, which are often used during the Halloween season, and the influenza pandemic. This connection can be traced back to 1919 when the zombie stories were shared in countries such as Haiti. Medical anthropology study seeks to understand illnesses, how the patients experience them, and how health-related ideologies fit within social settings (Singer & Baer, 2011). Outka’s article could still be relevant if written ten or twenty years earlier to show how sociocultural aspects influenced the influenza virus’ interpretation, particularly in Haiti.
Outka must have written this essay to create awareness of the approaching Halloween and flu seasons. In the first paragraph, the author stated: “Zombies have lurched to the center of Halloween culture, with costumes proliferating as fast as the monsters themselves” (Outka, 2019, para. 1). Similarly, the author reminds the reader to get ready for October’s zombie apocalypse with their zombie costumes at the end of the essay.
This article’s zombie stories are limited to literary texts and movies, many of which could be exaggerated. At the beginning of the article, the author mentions some Halloween items such as zombie rabbit and zombie banana costumes. On the other hand, the essay does not clarify the origin of such unique Halloween costumes. Although the author met most of the article’s intentions, it is still unclear if the Halloween culture had existed long before the influenza pandemic.
Outka has written an informative article that provides a brief history of the influenza flu in 1919. It has established a significant connection between Halloween traditions and the influenza virus. Most importantly, the article shows how zombie narratives have influenced literature and cinema since the 18th-century pandemic. The impact of viral flu can be seen in the writings of H.P. Lovecraft and William Seabrook. It has also been captured in several films, including “Night of the Living Dead” and “White Zombie.” Lastly, Outka’s essay has provided an essential anthropological explanation for common beliefs and interpretations regarding the influenza virus.
References
Littlewood, R. (2009). Functionalists and zombies: Sorcery as spandrel and social rescue. Anthropology & Medicine, 16(3), 241-252. Web.
Singer, M., & Baer, H. A. (2011). Introducing medical anthropology: A discipline in action. Rowman Altamira.
Outka, E. (2019). Zombie flu: How the 1919 influenza pandemic fueled the rise of the living dead. The Conversation. Web.
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