SofiaSotelo

ENGL2010
03/26/16
CulturalAnalysis
Zombies:AFormofImmigration
Menandwomenlivinginapostapocalyptic,zombiefilled,NorthAmericanvillagehave
neverknownanythingotherthantheirsecluded,religioncenteredvillage.Thisisaplacewhere
individualsaretaughtonlywhattheirleaders,theSisterhood,wantthemtoknow,andhave
growntofearwhatexistsbeyondthefences,whichhavekeptthemsafealltheseyears.
Individualsinsidethisvillagefollowtherulessetinplace,neverwonderaboutaworldbeyond
thefences,andconformtoalifeofroutine.However,in
CarrieRyans
TheForestofHandsandTeeth,
thefirst
novelofapostapocalyptictrilogy,themaincharacter,
Mary,goesagainstthesenormsandfurtherinvestigatesthe
ideaofaworldoutsidethefencesandlearnsmoreabout
theOutsiders.Ryansnovelenvisionsalifeinwhicha
communitykeepsoutsidersoutandthevillagersin.The
villageisrunthiswaybytheSisterhoodinhopesof
increasingprotectionfromtheoutside,alongwithkeeping
thepowerofinformationwithintheSisterhood.When
MarystartstoquestionwhatshehasbeentaughtbytheSisterhoodabouttheoutsidework,she
receivesharshremindersabouthowfragileherexistenceinthevillage,andintheworld,really

is.Thisnoveldepictsthefearoftheunknown,whereindividualscanfeartheUnconsecrated
wellenoughwithoutthem[theirmemories](7).Thenovel,
TheForestofHandsandTeeth
,
reflectsamajorityofAmericanscurrentmentalityonImmigrationandtheunknown.
Marysfirstrealevidenceoftheexistenceofoutsidersand,thus,aworldbeyondthe
wallsofhervillagetakesplacewhenshewitnessesanunfamiliaryoungwoman,wearinga
brightredvestenteringthevillagefromthepaththattheSisterhoodhasforbiddenanyoneother
thantheGuardianstoenter.Theyforbidusfromthispath,andyettheykeepsupplieshere?
WouldIhaveeverbeentold?EventhoughIwaschosenasaGuardian,Iwasnotamemberof
theGuild.ItstheSisterhoodthatkeepstheknowledge(151).Shefurtherexploresthesituation
andfindsthiswomennamedGabrielleisnotfromtheirvillage,butfromtheOutside.Maryis
overwhelmedwithexcitementassherealizesthislivingwomencouldindicatethereislife
outsideofthefences,untilshesoonseesthesameredvestedfemaleontheoppositesideofthe
fence,asanUnconcentrated.Inmodern
westernculture,thiscouldbeseenasaformof
deportation:wheretheforeignersarethe
Unconsecrated,andthecountrytheyare
sendingtheindividualbacktois
TheForestof
HandsandTeeth
.Forexample,Republican
presidentialcandidateDonaldTrumphasbeenveryopenabouthispoliciesonImmigration
Reform.

WhenMexicosendsitspeople,theyrenotsendingtheirbest.Theyrenot
sendingyou.Theyrenotsendingyou.Theyresendingpeoplethathavelotsof

problems,andtheyrebringingthoseproblemswithus.Theyrebringingdrugs.
Theyrebringingcrime.Theyrerapists.Andsome,Iassume,aregoodpeople.
FromTrumpsspeech,weseeheischaracterizingallHispanicindividualsasMexicanand
stereotypingallimmigrantsaspotentiallybadpeople.Thispresidentialcandidatebelieves
immigrants(Outsiders)aremoreofathreatthanotherproblematicissues.
Lateroninthestory,weseeMaryandothersescapefromthebreachontheirvillageand
discoveratownthathadpreviouslybeenoverrunbytheUnconsecrated.Aswefollowthestory,
wecanconcludeGabrielle,theoncelivingwomenwhoisnowaspeedy,strongUnconcentrated,
camefromthistown.ThissuggestsGabriellefledfromavillagethatwasunderattack,
wanderedtheForestfordays,andfinallycameacrossavillagehopingtoincreaseherchanceof
survival,butwasgrantedwiththe
oppositethelifeas
Unconsecrated.Thisissimilarwith
currenteventssurroundingSyrian
refugeestoday.TheCivilWarthat
iscurrentlytakingplaceinSyriais
consideredtobeoneoftheworst
humanitariancrisisofourlifetimes.
SincethestartofSyria'sCivilWar,overhalfofthecountry'spopulationhasbeenkilledoffor
beenforcefullyevacuatedfromtheirhouses.Familiesandindividualsarestrugglingtosurvive
withinSyria,andfindingrefugeinneighboringcountriesisnotanyeasier(MercyCorpspara.5).
TheSyriancrisishasanimpactontheUnitedStatesintheformofwhichpotentialpresidential

candidateswanttogoaboutthesituation.Thefallout
fromIsisterroristattackonParishascaused
candidatestorespondtotheissue.Accordingto
Kingsley,morethanhalfoftheU.Ssgovernorshave
statedtheywillnolongerallowanypositionfrom
Syrianrefugee,insistingtheywillposetoomuchofa
threatfornationalsecurity(para.3).Thisstatementrelatestothenovelintheformthatthat
SisterhoodwantstokeepOutsiders,whethertheyareUnconcentratedorliving,outsideoftheir
villagebecauseitraisesahighrisk.OutsiderscanbeseenasathreatasGabrielleisseeninthe
novelandasPresidentialcandidate,DonaldTrumpisstrivingtoperceiveimmigrantsas.
AnotherstatementmadebyDonaldTrumpwhichrelatesto
TheForestofHandsandTeeth
is
Weneedstrongborders.Weneedawall,Trumpsaid,addressinghissolutiontothe
immigrationissue.Thiscandidatebelievesthisisthebestwayofkeepingillegalimmigrantsout
oftheUnitedStates.TheideaofbuildingawallthatsurroundsU.Sbordersresemblesthefences
thathavebeenbuiltaroundMarysvillagein
TheForestofHandsandTeeth
tokeepall
Unconcentratedout.
FearofanOutsiderin
TheForestofHandsandTeeth
andinAmericansocietycanbe
definedasxenophobia,extremefearofindividualsandideasfromothercountries.Outsidersare
oftenseenasathreatnotonlybecausetheycomefromforeignplaces,butbecausetheymay
bringwiththemnewideasfromtheseforeigncountries,whichmaybefrighteningtotheUnited
StatesofAmerica.TheOrthodoxOutletforDogmaticEnquiriessuggestswhiteAmericamay
fearimmigrationbecauseofthedemographicdeclineduetolargeamountsofdiverseindividuals

enteringtheUnitedStates.
CouldtheZombiefilmsbeanunconscious,outwardmanifestation
ofmodernwhiteracism?
(WhatDoestheZombieGenreSayabouttheModernWest17).With
thisbeingsaid,wecanalsoobserveamajorityofthecharacterswithin
theForestofHandsand
Teeth
aredepictedaswhiteskinned,blueorgreeneyed,lighthaircoloredindividuals.Exceptfor
Mary,whoslightlyresemblesourOutsider,Gabrielle.Forexample,Marysbestfriendinthe
novelisnamedCassandisdescribedasalightskinned,beautifulgirlasIburymyfaceinher
whiteblondehair(44)saysMaryasshehugsCass.Hishairislighter,blonderhiseyes
brighter,greener,nolongerhollow(87)isapassageMaryusestoidentifyTravis,oneofher
loveinterestsinthenovel.ThroughoutthebookMarycontinuestodescribecharacterstohave
similarcharacteristicsasCassandTravis.Sheisthere,standingbythecurtains.Sameage,dark
hair,questioninhereyes(71),saysMarywhenshefirstseesGabrielle.Thispassageindicates
sheisofadifferentethnicity,henceherdarkhairversuetheothervillagerslighthair.However,
italsopointsoutMaryandGabriellehavesimilarfeaturesinhaircolor,whichcouldbeposing
theideathatOutsidersinrealityarentmuchunlikethem.Ryanwellrepresentsthedifferences
betweentheOutsiderandthevillagers.
Anothercriticalsceneinthenovelwhichdepictsculturalimplicationsinrelationto
immigrationwouldbe,whenMaryfindswhatshethinkstobescripture,butsoonrealizesthe
bookissomesortofjournal.Herethejournalreads:
Inthebeginning,wedidnotunderstandtheextentofit.Asexpected,extremeand
completeisolationwasthecauseofherimmensestrengthandspeed.Godhelpusall,we
willsendhertotheForesttoseehowlongshelasts,tobetterunderstandher.Itisthrough
hersacrificethatwegrowstronger.ItisthroughHisglorythatwesurvive(108109).

MarythenfindsalistofnameswithGabrielleswrittenlast,indicatingtheSisterhooddidn'tjust
sacrificeGabrielletotheForestbecauseshewas
anOutsider,butalsobecausetheywantedto
conductaformofexperimentonherandthose
likeherinthepast.AnexampleoftheUnited
Statesexperimentingonotherswhoarenottheir
ownwasintheStatevillePenitentiaryMalaria
Study.Thisstudybeganinthe1940sduringthesecondWorldWar.Theprojectcentered
aroundinfectingwarinmateswithmalariaandconductingtestswithexperimentaldrugsthat
includedharmfulsideeffects(
Comfort20).
Thepurposeoftheexperimentsweretofurtherthe
safetyandproficiencyofantimalarialdrugs.Thetestsweredonetoincreasethechanceofusvs.
themsurvivaljustasTheSisterhooddidastheyconductexperimentsonGabrielletofurther
theirknowledgeontheUnconsecrated.
Whenanalysing
TheForestofHandsandTeeth
onaculturalaspect,itisevidentRyanis
makingcommentaryonimmigrationintoday'sdayandage.Thebookcontainsanumberof
culturalissueswhichcouldbediscussed.Manymaybewondering,whyareculturalanalysison
novelssuchas
TheForestofHandsandTeeth
important?Theanswercanbesimplifiedtothis,
analysessuchasthesearerelevanttoallowreaderstoreflectonthewayourcultureishanding
issuessuchasimmigration,andtoensurecertainthingswon'thappenagain,ortopreventfuture
incidentsfromoccurring.

WorkCited:
Ryan,Carrie.TheForestofHandsandTeeth.NewYork:Ember,2009.Print.
Comfort,Nathaniel.ThePrisonerasModelOrganism:MalariaResearchatStateville
Penitentiary.
StudiesinHistoryandPhilosophyofBiologicalandBiomedicalSciences
40.3(2009):190203.
PMC
.Web.26Mar.2016.
Gambino,Lauren,PatrickKingsley,andAlbertoNardelli."SyrianRefugeesinAmerica:
SeparatingFactfromFictionintheDebate."
TheGuardian
.GuardianNewsandMedia,
19Nov.2015.Web.20Mar.2016.
"WhatDoestheZombieGenreSayabouttheModernWest?"
OrthodoxOutletforDogmatic
Enquiries
.N.p.,02Nov.2011.Web.25Mar.2016.
"WhatYouNeedToKnowAboutTheSyrianCrisis."
MercyCorps
.N.p.,05Feb.2016.Web.20
Mar.2016.