Introduction
In Zombie Love by Earl T. Roske, Kathy represents a character experiencing internal conflict over her friend Emily’s relationship with a zombie named Walter. Although she loves Emily, Kathy opposes their relationship and is worried about Emily’s safety. She believes Emily should establish friendships with a living person, not a zombie. Through Kathy’s actions and statements in the play, Roske portrays the societal divisions and discrimination in a world where humans and zombies coexist. Therefore, Kathy is a character who embodies societal censure and discrimination and conflicts with other characters whose attitudes she does not admire.
Character Analysis in Roske’s Zombie Love
The conflict between Kathy and Emily stems from the belief that a relationship between a living person and a zombie is unacceptable and her concern for Emily’s safety. Primarily, Kathy demonstrates an openly hostile attitude toward zombies, which is illustrated at the beginning of the play in words, “Why are you out here with that?” (Roske, 2011). The character, in this case, does not use typical human pronouns, demonstrating her direct negative and discriminatory attitude toward Walter. Furthermore, she fears Walter might eat brains: “The undead can’t care. Except caring about eating brains” (Roske, 2011). In this case, Kathy exhibits stereotypical thinking about zombies, emphasizing prejudice against those who do not comply with commonly accepted standards.
It is crucial that throughout the play, the character addresses only the negative aspects of the relationship with the zombie, including social rejection and stereotypical danger. At the same time, she completely ignores all of Emily’s arguments that her relationship with Walter is comfortable and safe. In this play, Kathy’s character represents discrimination and stereotypical thinking toward those who are different from the majority or who do not meet one’s expectations.
Moreover, an essential feature of Kathy’s behavior in this play is the combination of her prejudices against others and her sincere desire to help her friend. She cares about Emily’s relationship with others: “This undead Walter comes between you and your friends. Between you and your family” (Roske, 2011). Kathy’s character represents a person’s personal beliefs about those different from the majority and society as a whole. In her arguments, she states, “People are talking. Emily, you’re losing friends” (Roske, 2011). In this way, the focus is on society’s perceptions, which establishes Kathy as a character who conveys discrimination as a concept peculiar to the community.
During the play, Emily defends Walter’s rights and explicitly declares to Kathy that this type of relationship is acceptable and does not cause problems for individuals or society. However, Kathy does not change her attitude, thus revealing that she is incapable of accepting the preferences of others if they go against public opinion. Kathy represents a character who wants others to be happy but cannot recognize that diverse people may have entirely distinct views.
Conclusion
Kathy is a character experiencing considerable conflict because of her friend’s relationship with a zombie. While she wishes for Emily’s happiness, she cannot accept her relationship with Walter. Kathy worries about Emily’s safety and believes her relationship with a living person would be more ethically acceptable.
In addition, she repeatedly refers to family and friends, which shows that discrimination is a phenomenon typical of an entire society. Thus, the play reveals how society divides diverse people and establishes stereotypes concerning those who do not conform to its norms. Overall, the writer depicts the inequalities and social fragmentation within a society using the image of the zombie as one who is different and Kathy as a representative of the majority.
Reference
Roske, E. T. (2011). Zombie Love.