"I Am Legend" by Richard Matheson Review 1

Cover art for
"I Am Legend"
by Richard Matheson

Book Response 1: #21(LA) Does this book raise questions about society as a whole or of a particular culture? What view of the world and/or human beings does the author seem to be expressing?

If I had to guess what view the author of "I Am Legend" is trying to express with this post-apocalyptic novel and describe his feelings on humanity in one word, it would be simple: stubborn. Stubborn to break habits, stubborn to deal with change, stubborn to ignore insanity when it is apparent. But most importantly, stubborn to survive.
"I Am Legend" by Richard Matheson is a gripping tale of a survivor living through a world that has seen the worst virus mankind has ever known. Naturally immune to this disease that turns humans into something resembling the classic vampire, he could be the last living person anywhere on the planet. By day he moves, fixing his fortress, searching for supplies carving wooden stakes and utilizing them to kill the "vampires" while they sleep. By night he must return to his safehouse that he will someday get around to soundproofing. When the sun goes down the vampires constantly berate the walls of the house he once lived in, turned into something of a survivalists paradise. If he stays one step ahead of the repairs, and the intelligence of the creatures, he might live to die of old age.

Did I mention he's a raging alcoholic?

He is almost never more than an arms length away from a glass or flask of whiskey, that is unless he's thrown it against the wall in a fit of rage or simply crushed it in his hand from the unending stress building inside him everyday. While yes, he is prepared physically, he is clearly not emotionally equipped to handle scraping by in the post-apocalyptic world that has become his reality. He constantly procrastinates the things that need to be done, usually only able to accomplish the bare minimum depending on the weather or how much hes had to drink.

Like I said, he is very prepared and equipped with excellent skills and materials, but he grows weary of this life. It is a never ending battle of fighting an enemy he understands very little. If anything, it is the stubbornness of his humanity that keeps him going, keeps him searching for other survivors, and eventually to try to find a cure. While he eventually finds things to keep him somewhat positive about the future, which inspires him to do more, his stubbornness to cling to self destructive habits and simple civilized constructs that get in the way of surviving astounds me.

The other aspect of humanity's stubbornness I see plainly through all the chaos is that of a group of infected humans. As it turns out, there are more survivors in the world, but they are tainted. They are not vampires, but retain some of there tendencies. They are unable to stay in direct sunlight for long periods of time, and are susceptible to things like garlic and mirrors. But they stubbornly retain most of their humanity, owed to a kind of vaccine that keeps them from turning to full blown vampires. At the core of their stubbornness is the need for justice. When they find our once lone survivor, they decide that he must be executed for his crimes against their people, people that could have been saved had he not plunged wooden stakes into their hearts. His survival meant their sorrow, and like all humans, they are not without a stubborn sense of revenge.