Summary
The transcript explores the origins of the zombie concept in Haitian culture, tracing its roots to the brutal slavery experienced during the French colonial period of Saint-Domingue. Drawing from African linguistic traditions and historical experiences of enslaved people, the zombie symbolizes a profound loss of human will, autonomy, and soul under extreme oppression. The narrative reveals how the zombie myth emerged as a powerful metaphorical representation of the dehumanizing effects of slavery, where individuals were reduced to soulless, machine-like laborers who were effectively "living dead" in the colonial plantation system.