I Am Legend
Image taken from wikipedia.org
I Am Legend is a story written by Richard Matheson that has been interpreted in the media many times. Most recently, Will Smith starred in the 2007 film version of the book. In the past, attempts at creating this story for an audience was extremely difficult because of the limitations of visual effects. Yet, aside from all the visual effects and actions scenes, at it’s heart, this is a story about mankind. Robert Neville is the sole survivor of a mysterious virus pandemic that turned much of the worlds population into psychotic zombies. Neville works day and night to find a cure that will regenerate mankind. He spends much of his time boarding up his house and stockpiling ammunition. The zombies only come out at night and take pleasure in taunt him.
Neville’s emotional struggle is very much displayed in the novel. His thoughts about the loss of humanity and the impossibility of a cree weigh heavily on his mind. The main theme that is recurring throughout this novel is man’s inhumanity to man. At our basic primal instincts we are truly barbaric savages. We cannot come together during a catastrophe and help our world for the better. Only a select few people have the power to truly change things for the better. Such is the case with the character of Robert Neville. He represents the good person that we are capable of becoming.
