Walking Corpses & Conscious Plants: Possibilist Ecologies in ...

Bingham 59
Returning to the full page image which closes the first chapter, the emphasis upon nature
reinforces that struggle is an unavoidable part of existence. Nearly all of the readers
interacting with the series have experienced betrayal or loss, even if not to the extent the
characters portrayed have. Moreover, pairing the intensity of such emotion within a
scenic setting makes the content of the text feel more accessible and easier to empathize
with. Similarly, Ledbetter claims that “Story-telling allows me to play with as many
personal selves as I can possible tell stories about in order to discover my own identity”
(5). Different characters can act as embodiments for particular aspects of our
personalities or behavioral patterns. Conversely, they can also serve as models for traits
or archetypes which we might never hope to emulate but can imagine nonetheless. Their
containment inside a fictional context makes this type of contemplation conceivable,
though. If the characters were written and drawn to demonstrate they possessed the
belief that their world was fabricated, The Walking Dead would be an entirely different
story. According to Lewis, “If we want the theoretical benefits that the talk of possibilia
brings, the most straightforward way to gain honest title to them is to accept such talk as
the literal truth” (4). Some off the benefits of engaging this particular possible world are:
developing a better understanding of what causes violence, honing the ability to
differentiate between different kinds of violence, figuring out how violence effects those
exposed straightaway and in the long-run, and potentially finding alternate solutions to
using violence as a means to achieve an end. Such considerations can be empowering for
an individual. They can promote psychological change and alter the way an individual
perceives him or herself in relation to society. But as the narrative reveals, these
distinctions are often subject to change and difficult to uphold. Becoming aware of their