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Veronica Joy Espineda

Greg McClure
Writing 39B
30 October 2016
Rhetorical Analysis: I Am Legend
The novel, I Am Legend is written by Richard Matheson and is first published in 1954.
Concurrently, the 1950s is notable because of the Cold War between the United States of
America and the Soviet Union. The conflict between the Americans and the Soviets caused social
turmoil and unrest among the citizens of the world due to the rise of communism and the threat
of nuclear war. This novel prompts the discussion of social anxiety that was widespread not only
in the nation but also globally during the war threat of the Cold War. This novel also recognizes
the power of man and its capacity in causing global destruction. The global conflict is correlated
to Robert Nevilles world and his struggle in coping with the new society and against his
alienation. Neville struggles in differentiating conservatism and change, he is consciously
attempting to remain the same while subsequently being aware of the evident change in the
world hes inhabiting. As the only surviving human on Earth, Neville gradually becomes and
feels like the outcast from the world now full of vampires and infected humans. Being a lone
survivor alienates him from the rest of the new world. Due to the apocalypse, the new society has
begun anew and started primitively which prompted Nevilles realization that he is becoming the
monster in a community converted to vampirism. This relates to genre expectations because it
fulfills Nol Carrolls criterion of a monster in the art horror genre as stated in his work, The
Nature of Horror. The correlation between Nevilles world and the state of the society during the
global dispute will be demonstrated through a rhetorical analysis of the text. The connection will

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be established through the analysis of excerpts from the text that made use of certain writing
techniques such as characterization, diction, and symbolism.
The emergence of the vampires in the novel following the war that caused the spread of
virus depicts the end of World War II and the start of the social anxiety amongst the people of the
world during the 1950s. Furthermore, it also establishes the capabilities of man in causing both
self and global destruction. I will demonstrate that this is the case through an analysis of
Nevilles flashback conversation with his wife Virginia regarding the flu that has been going
around their neighborhood and its symbolism regarding the gradual spread of social hysteria. The
novel revolves around the character of Robert Neville and his experiences in being the sole
survivor of a pandemic that caused humans to be converted into vampire-like creatures. In
Nevilles flashback conversation with Virginia, The bombings? she said. Maybe, he said.
Well theyre causing the dust storms. Theyre probably causing a lot of things (Matheson 45),
established the fact that the pandemic is caused by a war and is spread through dust storms in the
city which led to the explosion of the mosquito population. The use of the word bombings
denote the existence of a war which is parallel to World War II. It resonates to the United States
decision of ending the war by using nuclear weapon. The bombings represent the United
States act of dropping the worlds first deployed atomic bomb over the city of Hiroshima in
Japan which is then followed by another atomic bomb deployment in another city called
Nagasaki. The Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombings caused the death of about 140,000 people just
by the first impact of the bombs, not including the rest of the innocent people that died due to the
exposure of radiation from the remnants of the nuclear bomb in the city. (History.com, Bombing
of Hiroshima and Nagasaki) The mortality rate and the severity of the bombings served as a
realization that human beings can destroy themselves. For the first time, it became clear that man

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can cause such a catastrophe and possess the capacity of wiping out the whole species. In the
conversation, Virginia Neville stated, Theyre probably causing a lot of things (Matheson 45),
which serves as a symbol to the gradual rise of social anxiety. The bombings did not only
cause casualties but also initiate the rapid development of atomic weapons particularly between
the United States and the Soviet during the Cold War. The expansion of research for atomic
weapons stimulated the deadly Arms Race. The social hysteria became prevalent as Americans
begun building bomb shelters in their backyards and communities started practicing attack drills
specifically in schools and other public places. Movies about nuclear devastation and mutant
creatures also filled the theaters. (History.com Cold War History) Thus, the pertinent threat of
nuclear annihilation produced the rise of social panic and hysteria.
The fear of the other or the unknown is an integral part of the horror genre. In this case,
the unknown being feared initially are the vampires which is a representation of the spread of the
ideology of communism and the Communist regime. The status of the United States and the
Soviet Union as the two superpowers after World War II escalated the Cold War. The two
countries are representing opposing ideologies. The United States is standing up for capitalism
and democracy while the Soviet Union is representing Communism. As Virginia Neville stated,
Theyre probably causing other things (Matheson 45). The continuation of the war is certainly
causing a lot of things including the Red Scare in America. Due to the social hysteria and the
threat of the spread of communism the House of Un-American Activities Committee or HUAC
started a series of hearings against suspected communists in Hollywood. (History.com Cold War
History) Anti-communist sentiments flourished and has gone out of control. The fast-growing
paranoia of Americans regarding the rise of communism initiated the hearings of suspected
communists. It did not take long for the suspicions with government officials to arise. Anti-

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communists politicians were investigated; some were fired and others are even persecuted.
(History.com The Cold War) Mathesons establishment of the unknown origin of the vampires
represents the sentiments of the society during the 1950s. The idea of communism and the fear
associated with its expansion is the catalyst of the social anxiety and hysteria that the world,
especially, the American society, is feeling.
The alienation of a protagonist is a key feature of the horror genre. As the only living and
surviving human on earth, Neville experiences existential crisis. Nevilles difference with the rest
of the new world forces him to isolation. Here he was with no future and a virtually hopeless
present. Still plodding on. Instinct? Or was he just stupid? Too unimaginative to destroy himself?
Why hadn't he done it in the beginning when he was in the very depths? (Matheson 85). The
excerpt epitomizes the moment in which Neville questions life and its foundation. He questions
whether his life is of value or purpose at all considering his current living situation. The
displacement and alienation that he is experiencing in the new and primitive world is further
increasing the sense of isolation and loneliness. The unraveling of social institutions and of
humanity itself is already deepening his isolation anxiety. This is parallel to the situation of the
United States during the Cold War and its fight against the spread of communism. Along with the
social anxiety created by the threat of nuclear war and spread of communism, the world and the
American nation itself is unraveling. Matheson expresses the meaninglessness of Nevilles life
through his alcoholic tendencies. Nevilles life seems irrelevant and meaningless, therefore he
spends his days killing vampires and drinking alcohol. As a human, it is necessary for Neville to
live a life with purpose. Through the depth of his despair, he had a sudden urge of hope as he
began his research for the mysterious root of the vampire pandemic. Seeking for the source of
the pandemic sparked hope and a purpose in his seemingly pointless life. His hope strengthened

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when he encountered a dog but it turned out to be infected. As the story progresses, Neville
gradually gained the trust of the dog which intensifies his hope for survival. The attachment that
he had with this dog is impermanent because the dog passed away not too long after being in his
house. This incident is a catalyst to Nevilles existential crisis specifically from isolation anxiety
to the quest for community and purpose. The collapse of humanity and the loss of relationship
intensively causes Neville to question the worth and meaning of his life because as humans, we
are wired to social order and relationships.
However, through the development of the story, Robert Nevilles character gradually
becomes the unknown and feared creature while the rest of the population transformed into
vampires. I will demonstrate that this is the case through the analysis of the texts diction as it
occurs as a set of phrases that establish Nevilles extraordinary status in his ordinary, if beset,
world. Nevilles status of being a lone survivor alienates him from the rest of the new world.
Neville thought, The dead walk about and I think nothing of it. The return of corpses has
become trivial in import. How quickly one accepts the incredible if only one sees it enough!
(Matheson 63). Neville accepts that the existence of vampires in the world hes living in is the
new norm. The use of the word trivial represents the little significance of being bothered by the
vampire-like creatures loitering around the city. The new world that he is trying to cure from the
disease has been transformed as the new world of vampires. Due to this, Neville gradually
becomes and feels like the outcast in the same world that he habituated all his life. Based on
Nol Carroll, a well-known philosopher and distinguished professor of philosophy at Wesleyan
University, in his essay entitled The Nature of Horror, an art horror genre monster is an
extraordinary character in an ordinary world. (Carroll The Nature of Horror) In this case, the

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new people of Earth, being the vampires and the infected humans, are the new normal while
Neville is the feared monster.
Nevilles character is evidently the odd one out from the rest of the new world thus
becoming the feared unknown creature. Moreover, the plague reshaped Nevilles character, he
was once an average American living a peaceful life with his wife and daughter but due to the
unfortunate circumstances, he turned into a scavenger for survival who slaughters vampires
daily. This is revealed by Ruth during their last conversation before Nevilles scheduled
execution. When Ruth asked, Did you ever see your face, she asked, when you killed?
(Matheson 156), she is implying that Neville has the same frightening expression in his face as
the people that took him. This conversation is a revealing moment for Neville as Ruth explained
the quest of the new society. Initially, Neville cannot believe how primitively the new society is
starting. Similarly, because of World War II, countries are resorting to more destructive weapons
regardless of the consequences and possible casualties. Nevilles character in the novel has
become the evil that the new society deplore, the evil that is among us. This is parallel to the
United States status of being a superpower that is feared by weaker nations. The use of nuclear
weapon and the Americans resistance against communism caused thousands of casualties and
social anxiety. Finally, Neville realized, Im the abnormal one now. Normalcy was a majority
concept, the standard of many and not the standard of just one man (Matheson 159). Matheson
was able to create the symmetry in Nevilles character of being a real person passing into a
legend. A legend that is anathema and black terror (Matheson 159) to the new society. He is a
mythical entity, a specter, that cause destruction and fear.

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Works Cited
Carroll, Nol. The Nature of Horror. The Journal of Aesthetics and Art Criticism, vol. 46, no.
1, 1987, pp. 5159. www.jstor.org/stable/431308.
History.com Staff. "Bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki." History.com. A&E Television
Networks, 2009. Web. 02 Nov. 2016.
History.com Staff. "Cold War History." History.com. A&E Television Networks, 2009. Web. 01
Nov. 2016.
Matheson, Richard. I Am Legend. New York: Gold Medal Books, 1954. Print.
Schryer, Chris. ExistentialPsychology.org. n.d. Web. 22 October 2016.