I am legend is a 1954 postapocalyptic horror novel by american writer richard matheson that. The streets are overgrown with weeds, cars are abandoned, the infrastructure is beginning to collapse. This quote is a metaphor and robert in this quote is saying he is a legend but doesnt want people to think of him as a legend. Insofar as i am legend is a window into his psyche, he was afraid of nuclear war, of predation, of being all alone in a dangerous world. I was relieved to find that the dog didnt actually have a recurring role in the book version of i am legend, and once we did meet it, its purpose was to further demonstrate nevilles isolation. The city turned to a jungle, showing a chaotic vision of the future. A discussion of important themes running throughout i am legend. Its influence over major writers of today and continued recognition proves that it deserves to be credited by scholars, as well as included in modern anthologies of american literature.
I am legend themes from litcharts the creators of sparknotes. The two earlier films are the last man on earth 1964 and the omega man 1971. The i am legend novel community note includes chapterbychapter summary and analysis, character list, theme list, historical context, author biography and quizzes written by community members like you. I suppose i ought to have read this book in 1965, when id have been old enough sixteen thereabouts to appreciate its covert unease about the cold war and american fears of communism. A central theme, as the title suggests, is the nature of legends. While those infected with kv who survive it develop primal behaviour upon succumbing to the virus and becoming a darkseeker, they do retain enough of their higher intelligence to build and copy complex traps they have previously seen. Still, you cant fault i am legend for trying to be different from the typical action thriller. In order to develop this theme, the author used the literary technique of point of view throughout the story, switching back and forth between day and junes point of view.
Of course, technically, the books protagonist is the not really the last person on earth and therein lies the conflict of this theme. I am legend the movie is based on richard mathesons novel of the same name. However, this is a good basic list that you can build from. Author richard mathesons 1954 horror and science fiction novel, i am legend. The novel i am legend 1954, written by american author richard matheson, was adapted for the movie by screenwriters akiva goldsman and mark protosevich. It was influential in the development of the zombievampire genre and in popularizing the concept of a worldwide apocalypse due to disease. The successes and failures in adapting i am legend film inquiry.
The frequently snarky damon knight claimed that the plot limps and that all. January, 1976 i am legend opens with robert neville inspecting his house on a. Dystopian film i am legend by daniel thomedos santos on prezi. The themes importance to the world is that one can never give up keep fighting and striving and good things will come. Taking on such themes as mankinds need for companionship, the fight for survival, and the existence of god, it at least succeeds in making us. The book is full of good ideas, every other one of which is immediately dropped and. Francis lawrences i am legend is a 2007 sciencefiction thrillerdrama starring will smith as the lone survivor of a devastating virus that has wiped out 90% of the population of humanity. Litcharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in i am legend, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work. Supersummary, a modern alternative to sparknotes and cliffsnotes, offers highquality study guides that feature detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, quotes, and essay topics. January, 1976 i am legend opens with robert neville inspecting his house on a cloudy day. Among living things, survival is a fundamental instinct. Themes of transformation, spirituality, and mans struggle with isolation come up throughout i am legend.
I am legend is brilliant commentary and society and human relationships and, really, the very definition of humanity. I am legend is a 2007 american postapocalyptic thriller film based on the 1954 novel of the. Though he has lost his fear of the vampires, these are afraid of him and want him dead. The story stops annoyingly suddenly, as if the rest of it has been missed off. Richard mathesons i am legend has been made into several movies, including the recent will smith movie, and the. The film has been criticized for diverging from mathesons novel, especially in its portrayal of a specifically christian theme. Richard mathesons horror novel i am legend, penned in 1954, is largely considered a pioneer novel for gothic literature in america. One theme throughout the book is the fear and loathing. We see manhattan three years after a deadly virus has killed every healthy human on the island, except one.
Another important theme of i am legend is the powerboth benevolent and maliciousof science. I am legend piano theme my name is robert neville duration. Even though families like junes get to live in fancy homes with really overthetop clothes she has a dress with diamonds stitched onto it, most people are living in relative misery and poverty. Its influence over major writers of today and continued recognition proves that it deserves to be credited by scholars, as well as included in modern anthologies of. Read the text in white and copy the text in yellow. I am legend was released on december 14, 2007, in the united states and canada, and opened to the largest ever box office not adjusted for inflation for a nonchristmas film released in the u. The film, i am legend, is the third based on richard mathesons 1954 classic of. The novel was a success and was adapted into the films the last man on earth 1964, the omega man 1971, and i am. After a virus kills most of the earths population and turn the rest into animalistic bloodthirsty creatures called darkseekers, robert himself is the only one he knows to be immune and have survived. It is the third movie to be made from the novel and mathesons writings have modernized the vampire, in todays culture. Also sign me up for fanmail to get updates on all things movies. In the process, he empowers himself and gives himself a new purpose in life. In legend the republic of america has a great deal of power over its citizens, and boy does the republic like to abuse that power.
But if you have only seen that will smith movie that went 180 degrees on the book s message, the soulcrushing impact of these words will be lost on you. Richard mathesons i am legend is a science fiction adventure and a terrifying horror story. Robert neville will smith is a brilliant scientist, but even he could not contain the terrible virus that was unstoppable, incurable and manmade. Or perhaps the film simply doesnt have the same nuances as the richard matheson book on which its based. The entire basis of this movie is centered around the completely dehumanized state the humans are left in. Jul 18, 2009 main theme composer james newthon howard.
It retains the bleak tone, the cortman adversary and the book s central themes. The novel version of i am legend is better then the motion picture because the information slowly leaks out about nevilles past, present, and specifics about the vampires. Every character in the postplague world of i am legend tries to survive by whatever means necessary. Like the book of job, i am legend studies the questions, can he find a reason to continue. Comparing dracula, and i am legend by richard matheson bartleby. After the announcement of a good new, we discover new york in a total mess. Directed by francis lawrence, the film stars will smith as us army virologist robert neville set in new york city after a virus, which was originally created to cure cancer, has wiped out most of mankind, leaving neville as the last human in new york, other than. Bram stoker s dracula and richard matheson s i am legend 2160 words 9 pages. This onepage guide includes a plot summary and brief analysis of i am legend by richard matheson. Themes of transformation, spirituality, and mans struggle with isolation come up. This version of i am legend is the third movie adaptation of mathesons novel. The i am legend community note includes chapterbychapter summary and analysis, character list, theme list, historical context, author biography and quizzes written by community members like you. Discussion of themes and motifs in richard mathesons i am legend.
Enter your location to see which movie theaters are playing i am legend near you. I am legend is a novel by richard matheson in which robert neville struggles to survive as the sole remaining human in a world overrun by vampires robert neville is the only. By analyzing three adaptations of the same book, its clear that the most faithful, and strongest, adaptation is the last man on earth. Symbolism in i am legend i have put you down in groups from memory apologies if i got these wrong.
The successes and failures in adapting i am legend film. Of particular salience in i am legend are the motifs of being isolated, sexually frustrated, and preyed upon. Though referred to as the first modern vampire novel, it is as a novel of social theme that i am legend made a lasting impression on the. Comparing dracula, and i am legend by richard matheson. But unlike most works of horror, i am legend is not a blackandwhite tale of us versus them. Throughout the book, robert neville studies the science of vampirism. While the first fear is a highly contextdependent one, the second two generalize across cultures and times. Years after a plague kills most of humanity and transforms the rest into monsters, the sole survivor in new york city struggles valiantly to find a cure in this postapocalyptic action thriller. Otherness richard mathesons i am legend is a science fiction adventure and a terrifying horror story. One of the themes that seemed prominent throughout all three books were the roles of the female protagonist or antagonist or the male counterpart of it. How is the dystopian universe created in i am legend. In bram stokers dracula and richard mathesons i am legend, the mythical horror creatures, the vampires, have many differences in their mythical abilities, functionality and origin. We depend on other people not just for re production and survival, but for psychological and emotional growth. Theme in legend by marie in the dystopian novel legend by marie lu, the author develops the theme of how nothing is as it seems.
True, not everyone has celebrated this book, and criticisms were often pointed back in the early days afters its initial publication. Mar 24, 2015 i am legend themes meanings and ideas. Living alone in new york city, robert neville smith, a former lieutenant and us army virologist, tasks himself with finding a cure to the plague. Robert neville is a scientist who is unable to stop the spread of the horrifying virus that is fatal, incurable, and manmade. The plot of i am legend centers around the survival of a man named.
Mannequins mrs dixon butterflies jordon, matthew, jessica bob marley. This study guide consists of approximately 45 pages of chapter summaries, quotes, character analysis, themes, and more everything you need to sharpen your knowledge of i am legend. Sometimes you can get through an entire book and not realize what the author meant. Throughout the book, robert neville studies the science of. The movie took all the intelligence out and just made it about the action. Theres lessons to be learned about mob behavior and respect for minorities. Darkseekers are vampires in the 2007 film adaption, i am legend. In the end, he confirms that he is the last man of his race, and at his death, he will be a legend, as vampires are now. The 2007 film was partially based on the 1971 film as well as the original source.
Robert neville will smith is a scientist who was unable to stop the spread of the terrible virus that was incurable and manmade in this post. The opening scenes of i am legend have special effects so good that they just about compensate for some later special effects that are dicey. The opening scene is particularly relevant in the way it creates the dystopian feeling of the movie. Oh boythings are not looking so great for the citizens of the republic of america in legend. I am legend is a 1954 postapocalyptic horror novel by american writer richard matheson. The rest of the book is a collection of short horror stories and not very good ones either. The theme of otherness in i am legend from litcharts the. It retains the bleak tone, the cortman adversary and the books central themes. Dystopian film i am legend by daniel thomedos santos on. I am legend is very short, not novel length, only 159 pages long, out of the 312 pages in the book. One of the themes that seemed prominent throughout all three books were the roles of the female protagonist or antagonist or the male counterpart of. This study guide for richard mathesons i am legend offers summary and analysis on themes, symbols, and other literary devices found in the text. Set in 1977, the omega man depicts the story of robert neville the same character used in both the original book and i am legend living in a.
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