World War Z

World War Z

by

Max Brooks

Teachers and parents! Our Teacher Edition on World War Z makes teaching easy.
Choi is the Master Chief Petty Officer of the U.S. Navy. He is stationed in Hawaii, where he conducts diving missions to kill the underwater zombies that survive on the ocean floor. The narrator interviews him more than a decade after the war has ended, and yet, there are still zombies lurking and the armed forces are still working on stamping them out. The zombies pose risks when they wash up on beaches and when people are out at sea. Choi describes the heavy diving suit that he and his colleagues wear to conduct their operations, which protect them from zombie bites. He is now involved in studying the movements of these underwater zombies so they can figure out more efficient ways to destroy them. When the narrator asks him if they might use robots to do this kind of work in the future, Choi says that would be impossible because they would lack the “instinct” and the “heart” to be successful at it. Choi’s account reveals the superiority of human beings in the fight against the zombies, saying that their special human qualities—not just “intelligence”—give people an edge over zombies.
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Michael Choi Character Timeline in World War Z

The timeline below shows where the character Michael Choi appears in World War Z. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Chapter 7: Total War
The Cost of War Theme Icon
...the Coast of the Hawaiian Islands. The narrator speaks with Master Chief Petty Officer Michael Choi inside a minisub called the Deep Glider 7. The ship lowers them into the ocean... (full context)
The Cost of War Theme Icon
Choi wears an Atmospheric Diving Suit (ADS) when he works, which looks like “a space suit... (full context)
Humanity vs. Monstrosity Theme Icon
Fear Theme Icon
The minisub reaches the ocean floor, and Choi spots some zombies. The narrator sees around 60 of them approaching. Choi begins to fire... (full context)
Chapter 8: Good-Byes
The Cost of War Theme Icon
Aboard USS Tracy Bowden. Michael Choi says that the whales lost World War Z. There were too many hungry boat people... (full context)