based on my knowledge, prior to viewing Dr. Zarka’s video, I had a general understanding that zombies were undead creatures who roamed around aimlessly, often portrayed in popular culture as a result of a viral outbreak or supernatural powers. However, Dr. Zarka’s video provided a more nuanced understanding of the origins of zombies, which has changed my perspective on the subject.

Dr. Zarka’s video explains that the concept of the zombie originated in Haiti and was based on the West African belief in ancestors’ spirits. The Haitian zombie was a product of a complex belief system that included Vodou, a syncretic religion that combined African and Christian beliefs. The zombie was not a creature that came back from the dead, but a person who was turned into a slave by a bokor, a Vodou priest who had the power to control people’s will.

Furthermore, the video explains how the idea of zombies was transformed and popularized in American culture, primarily through Hollywood movies. The zombie that we know today, as an undead creature, was created in the US and has become a symbol of the fear of loss of individuality, conformity, and the end of the world.

The allegory of the zombie as a symbol of Transatlantic enslavement works by illustrating the fear and horror of being stripped of one’s agency and being forced to work for someone else. In Haitian culture, the zombie was a way of conceptualizing the brutal system of slavery that had been imposed on the population by the French colonizers. The idea of a person being turned into a zombie against their will was a way of expressing the fear and trauma of being forced into slavery, being treated as property, and having no control over one’s life.

Overall, Dr. Zarka’s video, the reading, and the films show how the concept of the zombie has evolved over time, and how its origins are deeply rooted in cultural and historical contexts. The zombie is not just a monster, but a complex symbol that reflects societal fears, anxieties, and traumas.