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Nelly Wong

Professor McClure

Writing 39B

18 February 2017

Rhetorical Analysis: I Am Legend by Richard Matheson

In Richard Mathesons horror novel, I Am Legend, Robert Neville is the main

character fighting for his survival in a pandemic of vampirism. As the lone survivor that

is known at the time, there is much sympathy surrounding his character and given

situation presenting him as a hero getting through a tough time. I will use Nol Carrolls

definition of a monster in his essay The Nature of Horror to turn Neville from a hero

into a monster carefully through the course of the book. Carrolls definition states that a

monster is an extraordinary character in an ordinary world, threatening, and impure.

Once that is demonstrated I will now state that point of view is complicated because I

have been able to use these particular elements essentially establishing Robert Neville

as an exception, which a monster always is. Even then Mathesons strong internal

focalization on Neville calls for the audience to empathize with him. Nol Carroll also

tells us that as an audience were supposed to take our reactions from the primary

protagonist. Would it make sense to take reactions from a monster then? As the story

proceeds, a new character Ruth emerges as a hero. She comes into Nevilles life as a

spy, but to his knowledge she comes into it just as someone else trying to survive the

vampire apocalypse. Compared to Neville, Ruth is not portrayed as a monster; for the

purposes of the story she is a unified force, and she symbolizes hope for Neville. She

establishes a relation with Neville after they both gradually let their guards down when
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they are both cooped up together in his house for one night. I will prove that through

one on one time, the base of understanding and sympathy between two people can

genuinely be established and only from then will a relation and connection be built and

forgiveness will be possible.

In the beginning of the novel, Robert Neville is presented as the protagonist hero

that attracts much sympathy. The world-renowned psychologist Philip Zimbardo claims

that a heroic act is one that is made voluntarily as well as performed with recognition of

possible risks and costs, be they to ones physical health or personal reputation. Over

and over again Neville exposes himself to mortal dangers and kills the vampires when

he becomes heated or his life is at risk posing Mathesons portrayal of Neville as a

heroic being. Neville battles everyday for his life by taking the time to collect garlic,

boarding up his windows, and laboriously caring for his house from the time he wakes

up until the time the vampires come out. His acts of lonesome survival draw out

sympathy from the audience especially when he mourns next to his late wife Virginas

casket and wishes he could be with her as a tear, crystal, f[alls] across his motionless

hand (Matheson 26). Matheson reveals Nevilles heroic traits by using description to

show how Neville keeps fighting for his own survival everyday in a vampire infested

world where he is supposedly the lone survivor. In addition, through the use of

language, Matheson elicits sympathy out of the reader for Neville.

Carefully through the course of the first half of the novel, Mathesons portrayal of

Neville turns him into a monster according to noted art historian Nol Carrolls definition

of a monster as being threatening and impure (55). Matheson showcases Neville as

threatening to everyone around him and to himself. Nevilles first moment as threatening
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comes when the vampires are attacking his house and he fires his pistols at them until

they go out and then strikes them with insane blows while he loses his mind seeing the

same ones he has shot coming at him again (Matheson 36). As much as Neville is

threatening to the vampires, he is as threatening to himself especially when he

consumes alcohol and is in conflict with himself. Due to the frustration in the science

behind the vampire bacteria, he throws a huge tantrum yelling and threatening to choke

himself while hurling the whisky bottle across the room which results in him slicing his

fingers open (Matheson 82). With threatening comes impurity and Carrolls definition of

impurity is through categorical interstitiality. Neville is showcased as categorically

interstitial because all the humans are infected with the vampiris bacteria but somehow

he is not, placing him in a contradictory form. Mathesons use of actions for Neville fits

the description of an art horror monster.

Matheson displays how point of view is complicated through the change in the

audiences perception of Neville. Nol Carroll describes a monster as an extraordinary

character in an ordinary world (52). It is revealed that Neville is the extraordinary

character amongst the sea of vampires because he is the only person immune to the

vampiris infection (Matheson 53). Matheson essentially establishes Neville as an

exception, which a monster always is. When the reader fixates on Mathesons language

in describing Nevilles situation through internal focalization on his character, there is

much sympathy and inclination to feel bad for Neville because he is alone and trying to

survive on his own, but after establishing Neville as the monster, the audience views

him from a different perspective. The change in perspective parallels with how the

horror genre usually subverts an expectation to another. Taking the genre of horror and
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what it entails and changing how an audience views Neville as the extraordinary

character proves how the concept of point of view is complicated.

Because of the change in view on Mathesons depiction of Neville, Nevilles

existence as the monster becomes contradictory to the readers reception. Nol Carroll

states that as an audience we are supposed to take our reactions from the primary

protagonist (52). So far, Neville being the primary protagonist has been the only

character the audience is able to take reactions from which would fall largely on

sympathy. Though now that Neville is established as the monster, would it make sense

to take reactions from him?

With the ambivalence on Nevilles character in question, Matheson brings Ruth

into the picture as a hero. Matheson introduces the hero now, one the reader can take

reactions from. Going back to Zimbardos definition of a hero, Ruth displays these

qualities when she is sent by the higher ups to spy on Neville who is perceived as a

monster. Her sacrifice to engage in close contact with a monster that murdered her

husband and put her own life in danger especially as a woman, which Neville has a

perverted affinity for, demonstrates selflessness and bravery. Ruth is no monster. She is

not an extraordinary character in an ordinary world. She is not threatening or impure.

She has no internal conflict with her identity or purpose. Her purpose in the novel is as a

part of a unified force, not a monster. The good qualities Matheson exemplifies through

her proves that she is not the monster and is the one the audience should take

reactions from, making her the primary protagonist.

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By the establishment that Ruth is the heroic figure in the grand scheme of the

novel, Matheson uses Ruth as a symbol of hope for Neville. After capturing Ruth and

skeptically interrogating her, Neville motions to take her blood sample to see if she is

infected by the disease and further tells her that if she is infected, he will do everything

he can to cure her (Matheson 122) This is hope for Neville; although he is torn between

having a companion and fearing for his own safety, he finally has something to push

forward in on his study of the vampiris bacillus as well as the possibility of a companion

after 3 years of being alone. Hes got a newfound purpose to solidify the fight for his life.

Mathesons use of symbolism creates the protagonist in this horror novel.

The use of one on one time creates understanding and sympathy. Matheson

forms a tension and bond between the two characters eventually leading to the both of

them letting their guards down and holding each other tightly in the lost measure of

night (Matheson 139). In contrast to the beginning of their engagement where Neville

treats Ruth almost like an animal dragging her in the house, treating her crudely and

impatiently, and distrusting her with suspicions of her every move and intention, Neville

opens his arms up for them to cuddle after he reveals the tragic story of his wife being

infected (Matheson 115). Because Ruth went through the similar tragedy of losing her

husband, she is able to empathize with Neville. Matheson purposely sets up the two

characters to have an adequate amount of alone time together allowing the two to

communicate and establish an understanding of each others lives and burdens.

Distinguished professors in English, Magistrale and Morrison argues that a horror

monster is seldom wholly unsympathetic; the reader is always aware of the Gothic

villains tortured mind and soul (4). Although Neville plays the role of the monster,
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Matheson sympathizes his character through Ruths actions of intimacy and care for

Neville.

Understanding results in peace and forgiveness which is Mathesons overall

message hes trying to communicate. Matheson puppets Ruth and Neville to part ways

on good terms and enables Neville to come to term with himself. Forgiveness is

displayed through the two characters even after hurt and misunderstanding takes place.

This is revealed through Ruths final kiss and her form of apology when she took out a

tiny packet and pressed it into his right palm (Matheson 158). Ruth allows for Neville to

have an easier form of death by giving him the pills which comes to show that she

forgives Neville for killing her husband despite her first plan of action to use and

potentially harm him before she came to an understanding with him. Although Neville is

initially angry at the fact Ruth betrays him, he comes to realize that he did not belong

making him not afraid of death by the new society (Matheson 159). Forgiveness is

shown to Ruth through Mathesons usage of compassion in telling her not to let the new

society get too heartless. Furthermore, Neville accepts his fate and is no longer in

conflict with himself through his final thought being I am legend when he finally

understands that he has lost his place in the new society. Mathesons overall message

of peace is finally seen through the last few pages of the book: even through the most

mind bending circumstances, true understanding leads to peace and forgiveness.

With the new society of vampires awaiting after Nevilles death, is there really

peace? The gangsters that took Neville are primitive and are described as having pure

joy in their faces while they were killing. They only saw Neville as a threat and never

gave him the chance to speak for himself. For all anyone could know, Neville could just
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be a legend of his own integrated into this new society. Knowing these appalling facts

about the vampires certainly raises the question of whether or not there really is peace

in the new society.

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Works Cited

Carrol, Nol. The Nature of Horror. The Journal of Aesthetics and Art Criticism, Vol.

46, No. 1. (Autumn, 1987), pp. 51-59. Print.

Magistrale, Tony, and Michael A. Morrison. A Dark Night's Dreaming: Contemporary

American Horror Fiction. Columbia, S.C: University of South Carolina Press, 1996.

Print.

Zimbardo, Philip. "What Makes a Hero?" Greater Good. University of California,

Berkeley, 18 Jan. 2011. Web. Accessed 14 Feb. 2017.

<http://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/what_makes_a_hero>.