I Am Legend

What role does the legend of the vampire play in I Am Legend? What is Neville’s relationship with the vampire, and how is this relationship distinct from those with the Undead and the infected?

Neville struggles to find purpose in a life of isolation. Do you think studying scientific texts ultimately provides him with a purpose? Why or why not?

Why is Ruth able to trick Neville into telling her about his discoveries? What function does she serve in Neville’s character development?

How do memories of the past influence Neville? How does his past influence his current research on the Undead?

Neville considers suicide throughout the novel. Why does he persist in living until his capture by the infected? What is the significance of Ruth giving him the pills to die by suicide?

What role does war play in the novel? How did it impact the spread of the vampiris bacteria?

I Am Legend is an apocalyptic horror novel. Discuss the genre expectations of the novel and whether Richard Matheson upholds or subverts them.

Discuss Neville’s thoughts on women—especially in relation to his wife Virginia, his daughter Kathy, and Ruth. Are these thoughts meant to frame him as flawed or heroic? Both?