The dead zone refers to the parts of Johnny’s brain that he cannot access after waking from his coma. This physical problem is a symbol of the way in which the accident has changed Johnny’s life. He can no longer access these memories in the same way that he can no longer return to the life he once had. To Johnny, the past is a dead zone that cannot be truly accessed because it resides in a time that is inaccessible to him after his coma. The deadened parts of his brain symbolize the irrecoverable damage done to him by his car accident.

The dead zone can also be read as a broader metaphor for society in the novel. Many characters acknowledge the existence of a seedy underbelly to society, the kind of place where men like Greg Stillson commit their crimes and are deliberately ignored. Society’s darkest secrets are relegated to a society-wide dead zone, seemingly inaccessible to the general population who would rather believe that Stillson is a charismatic entertainer. Just as Johnny’s dead zone represents what he finds too painful to acknowledge, the majority of society finds violence too difficult to process.