Severance

Use these questions or activities to help gauge students’ familiarity with and spark their interest in the context of the work, giving them an entry point into the text itself.

Short Answer

What do many audiences enjoy about the zombie subgenre in post-apocalyptic media? What distinguishes a zombie plotline from other types of apocalypse stories? What deeper themes, social commentary, and tropes do you associate with the zombie subgenre? Do you think the subgenre’s effectiveness on audiences is fading, or are zombie stories still relevant?  

Teaching Suggestion: These questions can be used to activate prior knowledge and prepare for the activity to follow. Students might brainstorm zombie works (novels, films, TV series) in pairs or small groups, then share with the class to compile a list of titles for reference before addressing the prompt.

• This ScreenRant article offers an analytical look at common tropes in the zombie film genre and offers examples of movies that both subvert and adhere to these tropes. (Content Warning: Plot summaries and trailers include gore and mature content.)
• This website offers an extensive overview of various tropes for reference during the novel unit. (Content Warning: Trope descriptions include mature content.)

Short Activity