I thought that the article we had to read today about the three films was very interesting because it is very similar to what I want to write about for my final paper. The film I thought of the most was 28 Days Later because of the similarities to The Walking Dead.

I really thought it was interesting to think about the constant gender role reversal in the film, which greatly contrasts in what I’ve seen so far in The Walking Dead. While Selena does fall under the role of the maiden in distress, she has also proved to be able to defend herself against zombies. Despite the fact that her life is threatened, she rebels in anyway she can against being sexually enslaved. On the other hand, my observations so far of The Walking Dead show that there is a tendency to stick to traditional gender roles in which the men are the hunters and the women are the caretakers at home. Women are seen more vulnerable and less able to handle a weapon and kill a zombie.

Furthermore, I enjoyed the fact that sexuality and fertility also played roles in the three films we had to watch this week, because it also relates to the episode that I chose for my paper. In the three films, birth and pregnancy symbolize a new beginning or a new start to humanity, but I get the opposite feeling from The Walking Dead. Lori is the opposite of hopeful or optimistic after finding out that she is pregnant. She felt doomed for her baby because she saw no hope in the world that she was living in. Pregnancy, for Lori, is another obstacle to overcome – not a miracle that will restart humanity.

Reading the article and watching 28 Days Laterreally helped me formulate some of my thoughts and arguments for my final paper by providing such a contrast. Furthermore, the article helped me think about the different ways I could possibly analyze gender roles in The Walking Dead.