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35 pages 1 hour read

Richard Matheson

I Am Legend

Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 1954

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Character Analysis

Robert Neville

The protagonist of I Am Legend, Robert Neville is a tall man with a “long, determined mouth and the bright blue of his eyes” (2). He is 36 years old at the start of the novel, lives in Los Angeles, and previously served in the military in Panama. Neville believes in the power of normalcy, as he maintained a relatively normal routine during the initial spread of vampiris and later finds solace in daily research.

Neville largely copes with the loss of his family and isolation from the Undead through alcoholism. His anger and despair only abate when he manages to stop drinking for a few days at a time; his character is largely defined by his struggle to maintain rationality after encountering setbacks (48). Neville becomes committed to the present, as the past is too painful (and reinforces his alcoholism) and the future is unknowable. He frequently questions his desire to live, and reaches his lowest point when he witnesses a stray dog’s death. However, he ultimately manages to pull himself out of his depression.

As lonely as Neville often expresses himself to be, he is afraid of loving again after the loss of his wife Virginia (128). Yet, he is problematic in his sexualization and treatment of women; he is a stereotypical male figure who reflects the patriarchal nature of 1950s America. Despite Neville’s ability to overcome his alcoholism and depression, his desire for companionship remains constant throughout the novel—and leads to his eventual death by suicide (to escape public execution).

Ruth

Ruth is a young, slender red-haired woman infected with vampiris bacteria, but not yet fully Undead. She is a member of a growing group of infected who seek to establish a new society. In order to do so, Ruth and her comrades accept a new form of morality that excludes the Undead and Neville. She is the antagonist of I Am Legend, a femme fatale sent to gather information about Neville for the infected’s attack on his home.

Ruth is a skilled manipulator, taking advantage of Neville’s loneliness. She is a largely static character who functions as a vehicle of exposition, so Neville can explain his scientific discoveries; secondly, she embodies archetypal women in the horror genre. She, like Lucy’s character in Bram Stoker’s Dracula, is beautiful and seemingly innocent, tempting Neville into trusting her. She believes violence is necessary in establishing the infected’s new society. Despite her ruthlessness, Ruth offers Neville the suicide pills he uses to end his life prior to public execution, making her a bit more dynamic in her genuine compassion.

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Related Titles

By Richard Matheson