World War Z Exploratory Essay

Aditi Sharma | Intermediate Composition | Prof. Beckelhimer

Word Count: 951

In todays world, society puts an unparalleled emphasis on

materialistic gain; inevitably creating a culture of selfishness. Day in
and day out, we are pitted against each other to see who is the
strongest or smartest or prettiest its only natural that we learn to put
ourselves first and eventually lose sight of the bigger picture. While
this idea may often seem relatively trivial due to its common nature, a
true divide begins to surface when a society is faced with a tragedy or
crisis. And the way that humans interact with each other within a
society during these times is greatly impacted by various factors,
including but not limited to, culture, religion, and history.
I strongly believe that a person is defined by how they treat
others when things go wrong and how they react to high stress
situations. This is one of the reasons that I often stand back and
reflect on the way I present myself on a regular basis. But that always
gets me thinking would I act the same way if there were a lifethreatening situation at hand? Would I be selfless and use my
knowledge and experience to help my loved ones, or would I put
myself first? I have always found this topic fascinating, and when it
came up in World War Z, I connected on a whole new level.
In the book, of course everything is on a larger scale because of
the magnitude of the situation, but the implications of selfishness can
be easily understood through non-apocalyptic situations as well. For
example, take into consideration the relatively new American tradition

of Black Friday shopping. A simple day of shopping for loved ones and
saving money can easily turn into a life-threatening situation, simply
for a few cheaply priced items. A child could be eagerly waiting at the
door for his father to bring back a present only to discover that he
was hospitalized after a fight, all because someone thought that they
deserved a video game more than anyone else who had been waiting
in line for hours. Is this really what society has come to? Are people
starting to value possessions more than human life? It really truly is a
terrifying thought that humans could start to give more importance to
objects than other people.
In World War Z, author Max Brooks portrays this idea in a new
light. He places his characters in a situation that is near impossible for
most people to even imagine themselves being in. He shows how even
in a time of terror, people in a society can come together and help one
another without expecting anything in return. In this novel, when the
interviewer goes to China and meets with Admiral Xu Zhicai, he learns
that when the military authorities learned of the magnitude of the
situation at hand, they decided to save themselves by leaving to the
ocean in a submarine. And in the process of doing so, we are exposed
to two different types of selflessness.
One many of the soldiers snuck their family members on board
with them, effectively risking their own safety on the submarine simply
for a chance to keep their loved ones alive. And two the interaction

between the father/son duo. As commander of his submarine, it is

Captain Xu Chens duty to keep everyone under him safe from any
threats including other submarines that may have zombies on board.
When they come across another submarine, Captain Chen comes to
the conclusion that he must bomb it regardless of the chance that his
son is on board simply because this would help him fulfill his duty as
commander.
Imagine what could be accomplished if only the human race
would shed its humanity, (Brooks 106). I think that this quote
accurately portrays the battle between being selfishness and
selflessness. When it comes to a situation like a zombie apocalypse, in
which the enemy is brain-dead and cannot think for itself anymore, the
concept of humanity becomes blurred. This quote can be interpreted
in multiple ways, but to me, it sounds like the author is encouraging
mankind to be ruthless against the enemy in order to survive and save
humanity. This idea may seem dark and selfish, but I see it from an
optimistic and pro-life view. Fighting the enemy in order to save your
own kind honestly seems somewhat heroic; these are the people who
are risking their own lives for the betterment of society.
I chose this topic because it genuinely is something I think about
on a regular basis. I grew up in the middle of two completely opposite
environments. My parents have always been very traditional and
family-oriented. They both grew up in India in joint families, and

therefore learnt to put other peoples needs before their own at a very
young age. This is a trait that they passed along with me, and so it has
always been rather easy for me to understand other peoples point of
views. On the other hand, because I grew up in such an individualistic
country like America, I was simultaneously exposed to a comparatively
selfish culture. I learned to be ambitious and remember that my goals
and dreams are just as important as the next persons.
I believe that when placed in a crisis, as humans, our first
instinct is to lean toward selfish behavior. That survival of the fittest
mindset kicks in. Regardless, we are defined by whether we decide act
on that instinct or convince ourselves to do otherwise and help others.
No matter how small or large the scale, we are constantly tested by
society as a measure of morality. A test puts selfishness against
selflessness.

Works Cited
Brooks, Max. World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War. New
York: Crown, 2006. Print.

Works Referenced
Elliott, Christopher. "'Me First!': Why Is Selfish Behavior on the Rise?"
USA Today. 25 Aug. 2014. Web.
Szalavitz, Maia. "Is Human Nature Fundamentally Selfish or Altruistic? |
TIME.com." Time. Time, 8 Oct. 2012. Web.