Juliette Cooley

Professor Greg McClure

Writing 39B
24 October 2015
Conventions of the Horror Genre
Genre determines a prodigious amount of a text- how it is depicted to the audience and
the kinds of themes and issues in which it represents. As a consequence of this, readers
customarily approach a text with a set of expectations, brought upon by said genre. Richard
Matheson uses his book, I Am Legend as an expression of the horror genre and how its
convictions of genre relate to the book as a whole; he does so by glancing into the story of
Robert Neville in a post-apocalyptic world.
According to Nol Carroll in his 1984 essay, The Nature of Horror, works of horror are
designed to elicit a certain kind of affect(Carroll 52). Richard Matheson interprets how the
genre of horror is rendered in his text, I Am Legend, through the fulfillment and subversion of
specific expectations of the horror genre. In the novel, he fulfills the expectation that the reader
will sympathize with the main character. With respect to this argument, I will be engaging with
the article The Nature of Horror, written by Nol Carroll for the points that he elicits on this fact.
Additionally, Matheson satisfies the expectation of danger being constantly present. I will be
building off this argument using the piece written by Mathias Clasen, Vampire Apocalypse: A
Biocultural Critique of Richard Matheson's I Am Legend, for the reasons being that the author
provides vivid and enticing arguments as to why this constant threat is essential to the text itself.
Furthermore, Matheson continually executes the expectation that the main character, inevitably,
has little to no sense of hope. This argument will be substantiated by authors Magistrale and

Morrison through their piece, Introduction to Dark Nights Dreaming, by pulling from their
insightful comments on how the context of horror is perceived. By using these techniques of
genre conviction, it is made elicit that Matheson articulates his message on the irony of point of
view throughout his novel, and his take home message being that of the importance of
compassion.
Matheson begins his assertion by fulfilling the expectation that the audience will
commonly sympathize with the main character, as proven by Nol Carroll. He states in his
scholarly essay, The Nature of Horror, [that] with horror, the emotions of the characters and
those of the audience are synchronized(Carroll 53). Meaning, the audience connects with the
characters emotions and parallels those emotions into their own thoughts. Matheson begins his
assertion on this topic by identifying that, we as readers, are able to witness the downward spiral
of Neville as he becomes mentally capricious. He becomes drawn to alcoholism, portrays violent
behavior and attempts to cope with his uncontrollable sexual needs. However, even with these
undeniable facts in mind, the reader sympathizes with Neville regardless of his actions because
he is portrayed as knowing that what he wants is wrong and is constantly at battle with himself
because of it. This quality allows the reader to see that behind his deteriorating mental state, he
still has some humane qualities. Using the information provided by Carroll, the readers
emotions begin to parallel with those of Neville, they understand his needs instead of criticing
him for having them, and because of this, one can see that the reader shows sympathy to Neville
and understands the impossible situation he has been put in- to suffer alone in a post-apocalyptic
world.
Although the reader commonly finds themselves sympathizing with the main character,
Robert Neville, the point of view of this distressed character changes heavily as the novel makes

its full progress. The reader begins to identify the shift in point of view, as Matheson focuses on
the perspective of Neville from the living vampires outlook, instead of Nevilles outlook on the
living vampires. In this sense, Neville went from being the protagonist of the novel, to becoming
the real monster of this new world. This shift begins shortly after the main character, Ruth, is
introduced. He takes her in and ultimately befriends her, unknowlegable of the fact that she is a
vampire. It isnt until Neville analyzes her blood that he finds out the horrid truth. Matheson
creates a huge turning point in the novel when Neville discovers a letter left behind by Ruthdetailing the critical information that the living vampires have come together and are
beginning to build a new society, and that this new society, ultimately seeks out Nevilles demise.
Conversely, the reader identifies how the outlook on Neville has changed and become
monstrous- based on the shift of point of view. However, none of the actions that he portrays
when this shift occurs, convey monstrous qualities. In fact, in his last conversation with Ruth, the
reader still finds themselves sympathizing with the now monster of the text, creating irony. In
some of Nevilles last words, he wishes the new society to prosper when he remarks, Dont let it
get...to brutal. Too heartless(Matheson 157). Ironically, the vampires that he wishes to prosper,
are waiting outside for his execution, playing on Mathesons portrayal of the irony of point of
view. Consequently, Neville may be a monster to the living vampires, but Matheson makes it
clear that compassion, in essence, takes away from his monstrous qualities and allows the reader
to still view him as the protagonist. Mathesons message on compassion is essential to the overall
aspect of the novel, he makes it clear by having Neville show compassion to the vampires who
intend to execute him that it is crucial that we must show compassion to all- even those we loath.
Considering the time period in which the novel was written, the Cold War era, Matheson was

trying to invoke this message to not only his readers, but to the society of his era, revealing his
entrenched feelings towards this issue.