San Antonio 1

ArielleSanAntonio
ProfessorMcClure
Writing39B
7November2015
Horrorscenesandhorrorliteratureoftenincitecertainreactionstoscenesand
twiststhatabnormallystandouttothem.Thesecertainreactionsinwhichtheaudiences
giveoff,usuallyrangefromfear,surprise,oranxiousnessduetothedreadfulscenesthat
causesuddenchillsorfranticscreams.InRichardMathesonsnovel,IAmLegend,the
thoughtofvampiresasanabnormalentitytotheselfdestructedprotagonist,Robert
Neville,andtheconceptofelicitinguniversalhumanfears,whichstemsfromMathias
Clasonsarticle,VampireApocalypse:ABioculturalCritiqueofRichardMatheson'sI
AmLegend,effectivelyprovokestheaudiencesmanyemotionsthatcoincidewithfear
(Clason314).Thoughthenovelinitiallyillustratesthevampiresastheonly
threateningbeings,Nevillethuseventuallyprojectssimilarimpureandunclean
actionsofamonster,whichisdefinedasanordinarycharacterinanextraordinary
worldorviceversa,toessentiallymoldIAmLegendintoahorrorthroughelementsof
structureanddiction.
Whenaudiencesofahorrornovelhabituallyfindthemselvestoinvoluntarily
reactindistressandshock,itisusuallybecauseofcertainwordstheauthorchooses.In
thebeginningofthenovel,Mathesonsuccessfullyinstillsfearintohisaudienceby
showingtheabnormalityofavampireviadiction,whichultimatelyclassifiesthis
novelashorror.FearisrenderedtohisaudiencewhenRobertNevilledescribesina

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particularexcerptthatthathalfof[vampires]lymphflowwascutoff.Thismeant,
further,thataconsiderableamountofwasteproductswouldbeleftinthevampires
system(Matheson44).Themainsubjectofthisquoteisthevampireslymphaticsystem
versusthelymphaticsystemofhumans.Thetwowords,whichdistinctivelyprotrudeout
ofthisquote,arecutoff,andwasteproductsbecauseMathesondeliberatelychooses
deviantwordsthatopposetheexpecteddescriptionofanormallymphaticsystemthe
livinghumanlymphaticsystem.Sincetheaudiencegenerallyunderstandsthatthehuman
lymphaticsystemshouldnotbedescribedtobecutofforhavewasteproducts,the
audiencemayposequestionsinregardstowhyvampiresaresodifferentfromhumans.
Differencesinthevampiresbloodflowcanremindtheaudiencethatbloodflowgives
life,andbecausevampiresonlyhavehalfofit,theyaremorelikelytobeconsidereddead
beings,orratherinNoelCarrollscasecategoricallyincomplete,orformless(55).
Suchpenetratingthoughtsofabnormalityinbeingsthatwereoncehumancreate
terrifyingvisualsinMathesonsnovel;thisideaoverlapswithhorroranddeath,which
consequentlyisClasonsideaofauniversalhumanfear.Followingthetwodetailed
sentences,whichweretalkedaboutintheprecedingparagraphthatdescribethelymph
flowofvampires,Mathesonutilizestheelementofstructuretosystematicallydescribe
thelymphaticsystemstepbystep,inordertoshowthatRobertNevillehasinterestinthe
subjectormoreaccurately,concentrationonfindingacureovercomeisolationsincethe
worldhasbeentakenoverbyadeathlyplague.Nevilleonlydesirestoliveforhefears
death.Thenovelconsistsoffragments,symbolizinghowhumanstendtothinkaswell.
Humansoftenthinkinbitsandpieces.ThewayMathesonbeginswithalong,complex

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sentenceinthefirstparagraphversusashortfragmentinthesecondsentencecreatesa
senseofdeliberationespeciallyinthefragmentsthatbeginwiththewordbut.The
narratorgoesontalkingabouthowvampireslymphflowiscutoffwhichmightexplain
thefetidodorofavampirethroughpausesinbetweenhissentences.Again,Matheson
showsNevillescarefulnessinreachinghisgoaltounderstandthecauseofthisserious
deathplague.SinceMathesonshowsNevillesperpetuatingfocustoescapeisolation,the
audienceisabletopathologicallysympathizewithNeville.Theprotagonistsfeelingsof
fearandlonelinessarethentransferredtotheaudience,allowingthisnoveltosatisfy
itselfashorror.Thispassagealoneisinformational,sothatwayNevillecanexplainwhy
vampiresarelookedwithdisgustthroughtheuseofscientificterms.Scientifictermsare
thususedtointelligentlyspeakofthingsthatarenotfamiliartosomeone.Inthiscase,
scientifictermsareusedtodescribetheunknown(thedeathlydiseaseandvampires)to
Mathesonsaudience,whichmakesNevillessituationdreadfulsincewe,theaudience,
hardlyunderstandwhattypeofbeingsvampiresare.Thescientific,didacticbackground
ofthelymphaticsystemjuxtaposesanormalhumanbeingtoavampire.This,inaddition,
allowstheaudiencetofirstlyrealizethatvampiresarefarfromnormalandthattheyhave
beenchangedintosomethingthatiscompletelydreadedbyhumanity;likewise,seclusion
becomesanapparentfearfortheprotagonistlaterinthenovel,whichinturn,produces
otheremotionsthatappealtotheaudiencespathos.
Thefeelingofbeingalienatedfromagroupisoneofthemanyinnatefears
humansacquiresincetheyaresociablyinclinedanddependentbeings.Aswedelve
deeperintoIAmLegend,Mathesonexhauststhenotionofbeinganoutliertosocietyasa

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waytocontributetothenovelshorror.Inordertoillustratetheideaofalienationas
somethinghumansarecapableoffearing,hepromptsNevillescharacterto
unequivocally,irregularlyexpresshisemotionswherehefindshimselfreleas[ing]
spasmsofuncontrollableamusementfilledwithhisgasping,nerveshatteredlaughter
(Matheson55).Inthisspecificsceneofthenovel,Mathesonagain,usesmeticulous
dictiontohorrificallyshowNevillesinstancesofisolationandpsychologicalvolatility
thatallowshisreadershiptoengagewithhisstoryandtoimaginewhatitsliketobe
aloneinahostileworld(Clasen326).Theaudiencegainsanunderstandingthat
Mathesonlivesinselfdestructionsincehesuddenlyreachesabreakingpointwhereall
emotionsoftensionandanxietyarereleased.Theunusual,psychologicalstateof
Nevilleaffirmsthevalueofsociality,whichleadstothedevelopmentoffearfor
humanswhodonotdesireanoverwhelminglackofhumanengagement.Itisdauntingto
seesomeonelosecontrolofhisorherownbodyandabruptlybreakemotionally,andthat
iswhatNevilledid,andlater,hecried(Matheson55).WhilstNevillessimultaneous,
disruptivebodylanguageandhystericlaughterconfusetheaudience,anemergenceof
worryanddreadforNevilleswellbeingincreases,especiallyasthestorygoes.Asfaras
dictioncontributingtothenovelbeingclassifiedasagenreofhorror,structureplaysa
keyrolewhileMathesonallowshisaudiencetoquestionthemselvesonNevilles
impulsiveactionsthatcreateasenseofunusualnessfornormalhumanbeings.
Mostformsofhorroroftenincludemonstersthatusuallyareclearlyidentifiedby
itsaudience.However,accordingtoNoelCarroll,inexamplesofhorror,amonsteris
anextraordinarycharacterinourordinaryworld,whereasinfairytalesandthelikethe

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monsterisanordinarycharacterinanextraordinaryworld(Carroll52).Although
vampiresaredescribedinasensethatclassifiesthemasmonsters,Mathesonintensifies
NevillestoneandactionsthatleadhimtorevealtraitsthatsatisfythedefinitionofNoel
Carrollsmonsterbyusingstructure.Forexample,thereisaspecificpassage,which
startstheshiftinperceptionofwhoistheactualmonsterinIAmLegendandthat
emphasizestheNevillesagitatedattitudeanddepravedactionsashetookthewoman
fromherbed,pretendingnottonoticethequestionposedinhismind(Matheson32).
Incontinuingthequote,Nevilleposesmultiplequestionsthatproducesdisturbing
feelingstowhyhechoosestoexperimentonwomenwhileheinterrogateshimselfwith
thequestion,Whataboutthemaninthelivingroom,though?andscreamsImnot
goingtorapewomen!(Matheson32).Thecomma,orcaesurathatislocatedbetween
roomandthoughindicatethatNevilleunderstandsheisingreatdeliberation.Neville
isconcernedthathemightdesireinhumanefantasieswithwomensincehedoesnot
decidetoexperimentonmen,onlywomen.DuetothefactthatNevillefeelsguilt(as
shownthroughtheexclamatorysentence)andacquiresinhumanefantasieswithvampire
women,hedistinctivelycreatesabarrierbetweenhimselfandthespeciesofvampires
alone,whichconsequentlymakehimamonsterthatisanextraordinarycharacterinan
ordinaryworld(canalsobeviceversa)(Carroll52).Itcanbedifficultfortheaudience
tograspthatRobertNevillemaybethemonsterinthisstory.Ontheotherhand,weneed
topaycloseattentiontothefactthatNevilleistheonlyonewhoisnotinfectedeven
thoughNevillecanbeperceivedasthevictim.Neville,however,losesmoralityandcan
bethoughttobethreateningandimpurewhenheloseshissanityandkillsthevampires

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thatsurroundhim(Carroll55).Hecanbelookedasthreateningbecausehegoesaround
killingvampireswithstakesandperformsexperimentsonlyonwomenwhilehehas
infiltratingthoughtsofrapewhichareextremelyimpurethoughts.
Throughtheuseofstructureandauthorsdiction,thenovel,IAmLegend,written
byRichardMatheson,iscategorizedashorrorliteratureduetotheemphasison
abnormalityanduniversalhumanfears(Clason314).Whetheritbeadisturbingscene
ofNevillesfluctuating,sexualtensiontowardvampirewomen,theideaofdeath,orthe
thoughtofbeinginsolitude,thesetwoideascontributetothetextasahorrorgenre
becauseofitseffectivenessinprovokingfearfromtheaudience.Thisnovelhence
includesthemaincriterionofhorror,suchasmonsterswiththedefinitivehelpof
abnormalityanduniversalhumanfearsandwhileaffectingtheaudiencespathos.

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WorksCited
Matheson,Richard."IAmLegend."Http://www.juliojeha.pro.br/course43amg_pg/IAm
Legend.pdf.JulioJeha.Web.
Clasen,Mathias.VampireApocalypse:ABioculturalCritiqueofRichardMatheson'sI
AmLegend.Vol34,Number2.2010.TheJohnsHopkinsUniversityPress
Carroll,Nol(1987).TheNatureofHorror.JournalofAestheticsandArtCriticism46
(1):5159.

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