English Language and Literature Commons^™

Dante, Damnation, And The Undead: How The Conception Of Hell Has Changed In Western Literature From Dante's Inferno To The Zombie Apocalypse, Isabelle M. Whitman

University of New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

Dante's Inferno defined hell in Western literature for centuries; it was a physical place for sinners, they were subjected to physical torments, and it was in the afterlife. Dante’s depiction was firmly rooted in Christian theology. However, as fears and morals change, ideas of hell evolve as well. With the popularity of the zombie and other apocalypse narratives, these ideas return to the notion of physical torment and earthly places. In poetry, novels, theater, television, and film, writers examine different interpretations of hell, punishment, and redemption as metaphors for modern sins. In Sartre’s Huis clos, hell is a windowless …