How Night Of The Living Dead Relates To The Field Of Psychiatry

Night of the Living Dead is an independent film that follows a wayward protagonist, Ben, and six others who are trapped in a rural Pennsylvania farmhouse. Their shelter is attacked by “living dead” ghouls, making Night the landmark zombie film of its generation. Among Night’s many contributions are that the zombies a) resemble “regular people,” b) possess memory and rudimentary intelligence, c) could be de-animated only by destroying the brain, and d) are cannibals.

“Folklore and medicine often go hand in hand. In fact, for a long time, they were the very same thing. But folklore has a way of leading people to tragic actions—all in the name of getting better.”

A major theme of this Lore episode is the merging of religion and folklore; specifically, the merging of Christianity and Germanic folklore in the creation of ‘pow wow,’ which was practiced by the Pennsylvania Dutch (Deutsch). Coincidentally, the margining of Christianity and African animism in Haiti formed voodoo. While voodoo inspired Richard Matheson to create the American zombie, George A. Romero “ripped off” (his own words) Matheson when creating his zombie franchise set in Pennsylvania Dutch country.

How it relates to the field of psychiatry

Night of the Living Dead is renowned for relegating the zombie horde to a backdrop of the human condition, thus allowing the viewer to focus on human motivation during a time of crisis. In his 1943 manuscript, “A Theory of Human Motivation,” Abraham Maslow posited a hierarchy of human needs based on two groupings: deficiency needs and growth needs. Night of the Living Dead serves to review Maslow’s deficiency needs; specifically, those of physiological, safety, belongingness, and esteem.

Within the deficiency needs, each lower need must be met before moving to the next higher level. This principle is tested with the introduction of Mr. Harry Cooper and Tom, as the group dynamic displaces the zombie horde as the primary threat. Harry represents the need for safety/shelter, as he is adamant that the cellar is the most secure area of the home. His point of view is opposed by Ben, who counters that the upstairs is the most important area to protect because of its resources (e.g., the physiological need for food). Ben’s assertion is loyal to the Maslowian pyramid, as Harry puts safety needs ahead of the biological. Their conflict reaches a pinnacle when Harry grabs Ben’s rifle and threatens to shoot him. Ben wrestles the gun away when it fires, mortally wounding Harry who (ironically) stumbles into the cellar and dies.

Source:

Article from Psychology Today by Anthony Tobia, M.D.

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