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

Bingham 63
possession, selling, stealing... I've done it all. But I'm clean now—totally clean...Gotta
be, y'know...” Finally, beside him is an extreme close-up of a massive face shaded
heavily on the left side: “Murder.” The names of these inmates in order of appearance
are: Axel, Thomas, Andrew, and Dexter. Ironically, the only character to deny
culpability is the individual who will cause the most carnage. Whereas Thomas denies
his crime, Dexter admits to homicide and also admits the details. In a crime of passion,
he killed his adulterous wife and her lover. Although the threat Thomas poses is
unknown at the time, the members of the group have already formed strong opinions of
Dexter. Lori is among the most outspoken (Figure 22). Though her fears are not
illogical, her own infidelity may motivate her extreme antagonism toward Dexter
especially because she cannot be certain whether the baby she's pregnant with is Rick's or
Shane's.
Misconceptions and incorrect judgments of character have severe consequences in
this possible world, though. Since Kirkman is interrogating the hierarchical divisions
established by social order, it's important for him to test the pertinence of archetypes and
stereotypes in the face of civilization's supposed destruction. Placing an advocate of the
law against those who have previously defied it provides the context from which to test
the efficacy of established authority. Moreover, Rick's need to act in accordance with his
own moral code creates an absence of authoritative vigilance at the prison. In this
chapter readers are exposed to the inconsistencies of the actions of individuals when they
are compared against their supposed ethical codes. Even though organized infrastructure
has vanished, memories of its existence are still very real for surviving characters.
Though state power has disappeared, there is still a fantasy of its existence which helps