A ZOMBIE´S LAMENT: An analysis based on some features which characterize the adolescent stage

Ivanna Palazzetti, Guadalupe Bustingorri

The adolescent stage is characterized by hormonal changes, the feeling of not belonging to adulthood and of being discriminated by the society. A ZOMBIE´S LAMENT, a story written by S. G. Browne, deals with the previously mentioned issues which are present in the adolescent stage. 

This essay is the analysis of A Zombie’s Lament. This story tells about a man named Andy, who has a car accident in which his wife dies and his daughter orphans. After this accident he becomes a zombie. He complains about his new “life” and about his parents who do not accept him as a zombie. He spends his new existence attending Undead Anonymous meetings with other zombies to talk about what they can do to protect themselves. 

In this paper, we aim to demonstrate that A ZOMBIE´S LAMENT may be appealing for   young adult readers since it might make them feel identified with its character and his behaviour, actions and feelings, which are observable in the adolescent stage.

At the beginning of adolescence stage, teenagers suffer from appreciable hormonal changes that may affect their physical appearance, making them feel uncomfortable with their own bodies. During adolescence many body functions change and some of them make the body produce substances or fluids such as sweat or grease. All these substances produce new scents which are not very pleasant, so hygiene should be very careful and frequent.

As it can be seen in the following extract, the main character of A ZOMBIE´S LAMENT, Andy, reflects upon these changes by making a differentiation between him as a “normal” human being and him as a zombie:

“I´ve taken dozens of showers and even soaked in a tub filled with disinfectant, but I still smell like a crawled out of a compost bin and washed my hair with ammonia.” (p. 1)

Here the author is denoting the main character´s unpleasant smell by comparing it with ammonia despite his persistent attempts to eliminate it. Teenagers pass through this situation because of the hormonal changes. When it happens to them, they could feel uncomfortable with themselves and different from the rest of the people as regards their image.

As Aguirre suggests (1974), “the identity crisis has two faces: one of them is personal and individual and the other one is social. The first one is characterized by the affirmation of the ego, and the second one by the rebellion against the whole adult values system.” However, it has been demonstrated by Papalia and Wendkos (1998) that sometimes teenagers turn to their parents when they have to make an important decision since they are searching for their own system of values.

S. G. Browne seems not to agree with this idea through Andy´s thoughts in the following extract:

“I don't really understand it. I mean, it's not like we're any different than we were before we died. We crave security, companionship, and love. We laugh and cry and feel emotional pain. We enjoy listening to Elvis Presley and watching public television.” (p.1)

This example allows the reader to think about how adolecents may feel when adults leave them aside, even though they have things in common. Adults sometimes see them as weird people and teenagers do not feel equal to the first mentioned ones.

Some teenagers believe that  they are proned to undergo unfair discrimination on the adults´ part. The underlying notion is that adolescents should be treated with equal respect as individuals by adults, institutions and law on the basis of their humanity, rather than being regarded as "second-class citizens," intellectually inferior and adults´ properties. This discrimination takes many forms, including the lack of citizenship rights such as voting. This feature of discrimination is shown in the following fragment of the story:

“After all, when you're undead, you're about as anonymous as a transvestite(...)” (p.3)

As regards unfair discrimination, the writer of this story studies this affair in depth by treating Andy, the main character of A ZOMBIE´S LAMENT, as an anonymous individual.

Furthermore, S. G. Browne goes on with this issue of being discriminated by making Andy complain about his civil rights:

“We can't vote, get a driver's license (...)” (p.1)

A connection between Andy´s complain and adolescence may be established through the fact that adolescents can neither vote nor get a driver´s license until they are eighteen years old. 

Throughout this analysis, it has been demonstrated that A ZOMBIE´S LAMENT is perfectly suitable for young adult readers. Teenagers may feel deeply identified with the main character and his behaviour, actions and feelings, which are observable in the adolescent stage, such as hormonal changes, the feeling of not belonging to adulthood and discrimination from the society towards adolescents. 

Jerry´s kids meet Wormboy (review)

David J. Schow

(Review by Ivanna Palazzetti)

`Jerry´s kids meet Wormboy´ is a horror short story about zombies which was written by David J. Schow. It belongs to a big book of short stories collection called `The book of the dead´.

This particular story tells the reader about a cannibal teenager named Wormboy who decides to entrench himself at the crest of Valley View cemetery´s oldest hilltop. He leads the group of the Born-Agains which confronts Right Reverend Jerry´s one. Jerry is situated at the opposite hilltop leading his Deacons, the 'geeks' of his undead congregation. He controls his Deacons by feeding them rattlesnake venom and tries to convince them with his interpretation of the Armageddon and the Second Coming. After some fights between Wormboy and Right Reverend Jerry, the plot has an unexpected and horrific twist, which I´m sure you wouldn´t want to read about.

I, particularly, wouldn´t encourage teenagers to read `Jerry´s kids meet Wormboy´, because it includes some inappropriate themes such as homosexuality, drugs, alcohol, discrimination, and cannibalism among others like religion. What is more, the vocabulary that the author has used in this story is too complex not only for adolescents but also for adults, and in some parts there are even insults.

-Ivanna Palazzetti-

Running away (TV show proposal)

Dear Sir,

My name is Ricardo Ruben. I am a psychologist and a writer. Since I admire your work as the President of the most important network, I have decided to write this letter in order to recommend you a musical fiction oriented to young adults.

I have been thinking about retelling the story of a group of homeless children who form a rock band which helps them to run away from drugs, alcohol, stealing and violence. The band would have ten members and each of them would tell a different and problematic life-story. These ten members would be between thirteen and eighteen years old.

The name of the programme and of the band would be “Running away”.

The last thing I would like to mention is the fact that during the course of the television series, a famous producer will discover and help the children to make their dream comes true.

I am looking forwards for your reply as soon as possible.

Faithfully,

Mr. Ruben

Teletubbies: Why are they so much questioned?

By Palazzetti Ivanna – Bustingorri Guadalupe

Teletubbies is a TV show which was specially created by Anne Wood and Andrew Davenport for babies and little children. Its first appearance on television was in 1997. The characters of this TV show are Tinky Winky and Dipsy, whose blue and green colours respectively are proper of male characters, Laa-Laa and Po, who apparently are females, and the Sun, which is a smiling baby face. The setting is a great garden full of coloured flowers.

What is the reason why Teletubbies are so hypnotizing for children? What do these ETs have that call children's attention so much? Why are they so successful among young audiences? What is the reason why adults hate and mock on Teletubbies? We are sure that the answer to the first three questions is that this TV show makes children laugh and have fun. However, the last question seems to be harder to answer. That is why we will try to explain and justify our agreement with the social prejudice as regards the stupidity of these modern ETs.

To start with, we think Teletubbies are not based on something real. They seem to be strange aliens or something like that, and as far as we know, science has not still proved the existence of extraterrestrial subjects.

Apart from that, these four ETs show stupid movements and speak with a very basic vocabulary. In fact, these four telly-characters repeat actions and words at least two times in a row in only thirty minutes. However, the use of repetition is a great and powerful tool to get children engaged with the TV show.

We should not forget about the shiny sun. We do not understand quite well the meaning of the baby´s face which is constantly smiling. It seems to be diabolic and overexcited. Why does he laugh all the time? What is that makes him laugh? It is quite abnormal. Why does not he cry? Would not it be more normal if he would also cry as all babies do?

In addition, one of the Teletubbies called Tinky Winky can be seen playing with a pink bag. This seems to show homosexual features since it is apparently a boy using a girl’s stuff. For us, it is completely unnecessary to display situations or images to little children that can be discovered and experienced by themselves in future time. It does not mean that we are against the free election of sexuality, but the fact that Tinky Winky plays with a female handbag, looks like made on purpose for getting kids asking questions which are difficult to be answered at their ages.

As if this was not enough, during the TV show, a video is played with the objective of teaching something useful to the audience. But it is still something meaningless and out of the real world since people in it repeat actions and words like parrots, and what is funnier, they celebrate a birthday party to a teddy bear in one of the programmes. 

But all these arguments can be justified if we bear in mind that Teletubbies was made for babies or very little kids. Perhaps their parents turn the TV on and select this TV show in order to keep their children distracted for a while. Perhaps children enjoy watching such strange silly ETs moving all the time and saying things that are senseless. Maybe little kids get fun with those kinds of TV programmes and their parents find them very interesting for their children´s growing.

Anne Wood and Andrew Davenport´s creation seems to underestimate children´s capability and intelligence. It does not help neither complement the knowledge the school tries to transmit. Putting it all together, this TV show is not recommendable for children. It is prohibited for people who are looking for something interesting and at the same time entertaining on TV. We think it is obvious why Teletubbies are so questioned.

Honey Bees

Jesus Cervantes
(Review by Ivanna Palazzetti)

`Honey Bees´ is a Jesus Cervantes´ work. This wonderful story tells the reader about the process by which bees make honey. `Honey Bees´ would be really useful to teach little children how bees live in community, how each of them has a specific work to do, and how they manage to collect nectar with the objective of making honey. It is worth to mention that this perfectly well done work makes use of appropriate language laid out in short captions and that it has really attractive pictures which can catch children´s attention. I must say I would strongly recommend this story.

It was a dark, rainy day (by Palazzetti Ivanna, Albim Giselle, Bustingorri Guadalupe and Diquech Natalia)

It was a dark, rainy day. Autumn was about to come and the food they had collected during the summer was ready to be eaten, but it wasn´t enough for all of the ants. So the colony arranged a meeting led by Red Ant to decide who should stay and who should go.

It was a difficult moment for the whole colony. They had been working so hard, that all of them had the right to remain in their ants´ nest. But they could finally arrive at the cruel decision of sending the eldest people away.

A desperated voice was heard from the very back. It was a little ant whose grandma was about to be sent out.

“Why are you going to take my grandma away from me?” he asked.

“What´s wrong with that?” said little Red Ant “It makes room for new people.”