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RA Final
RA Final
Nelly Wong
Professor McClure
Writing 39B
18 February 2017
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
Matheson displays how point of view is complicated through the change in the
character amongst the sea of vampires because he is the only person immune to the
exception, which a monster always is. When the reader fixates on Mathesons language
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
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
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
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
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.
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
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.
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
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
Works Cited
Carrol, Nol. The Nature of Horror. The Journal of Aesthetics and Art Criticism, Vol.
American Horror Fiction. Columbia, S.C: University of South Carolina Press, 1996.
Print.
<http://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/what_makes_a_hero>.