World War Z

World War Z

by

Max Brooks

Teachers and parents! Our Teacher Edition on World War Z makes teaching easy.
The Vice President of the United States during the years when the crisis was at its worst. He and the American President formed a great team that took effective steps to address and, finally, solve the zombie crisis. The Vice President is called “the Whacko” by everyone because, in his words, he said what he thought. He and the president complemented each other very well since the President was “the light” while the Vice President was “the heat.”
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“The Whacko” Character Timeline in World War Z

The timeline below shows where the character “The Whacko” appears in World War Z. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Chapter 5: Home Front USA
Humanity vs. Monstrosity Theme Icon
The Fragility of Privilege and Modern Life Theme Icon
Burlington, Vermont. The narrator is interviewing the former vice-president who insists on calling himself “ the Whacko ” because everyone else calls him that. He says that unlike most politicians, he said... (full context)
Humanity vs. Monstrosity Theme Icon
Fear Theme Icon
...in the chaos of those times, the president had insisted on elections, which had surprised the Whacko . The president had said calmly that it was a “time for high ideals because... (full context)
The Cost of War Theme Icon
...secessionists the opportunity to reintegrate. However, there ended up being a lot of violence, and the Whacko admits he still has nightmares thinking about it. This ultimately destroyed the president’s spirit and... (full context)
Chapter 8: Good-Byes
Humanity vs. Monstrosity Theme Icon
The Cost of War Theme Icon
Burlington, Vermont. The Whacko tells the narrator that they’d decided to declare victory as soon as the continental U.S.... (full context)