My chapter in the forthcoming volume Characters of The Walking Dead that I am co-editing with Kim Paffenroth under contract with McFarland, focuses on Hershel Greene. I look at his crisis of faith that arises in season 2 and his eventual recovery of hope.
In tonight’s episode of The Walking Dead we saw the first glimpses into the current state of Hershel’s faith in light of the zombie apocalypse. It was revealed in an exchange he had with Rick where he spoke of his continuing belief that everything is unfolding according to some kind of purpose and plan. It could also be seen in one of the concluding scenes where Hershel retires to a cell to rest with Bible in hand. A frequent source of comfort and reassurance in the past, he opens it up and prepares to read, but is overcome by emotion and fatigue and chooses not to.
These scenes are an indication that my focus in the chapter is spot on, with Hershel’s sacred canopy collapsing in the face of death, the collapse of the social order, and an “end-times” scenario that unfolds contrary to his religious expectations. He recaptures his faith and the hope it provides, but this is increasingly difficult to maintain.
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