The protagonist of I Am Legend, Robert Neville is a tall man with a “long, determined mouth and the bright blue of his eyes” (2). He is 36 years old at the start of the novel, lives in Los Angeles, and previously served in the military in Panama. Neville believes in the power of normalcy, as he maintained a relatively normal routine during the initial spread of vampiris and later finds solace in daily research.

Neville largely copes with the loss of his family and isolation from the Undead through alcoholism. His anger and despair only abate when he manages to stop drinking for a few days at a time; his character is largely defined by his struggle to maintain rationality after encountering setbacks (48). Neville becomes committed to the present, as the past is too painful (and reinforces his alcoholism) and the future is unknowable. He frequently questions his desire to live, and reaches his lowest point when he witnesses a stray dog’s death. However, he ultimately manages to pull himself out of his depression.

As lonely as Neville often expresses himself to be, he is afraid of loving again after the loss of his wife Virginia (128).