Duality of Monstrosity and Humanity

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Neel Erickson Writing 1, Section 23 Essay 1: Analytical Argument 2/13/2012 Duality of Monstrosity and Humanity The depiction of monsters in film varies greatly from genre to genre, though they are commonly portrayed as soul-less beings with intent to kill for no apparent reason. Such a monster often embodies some human characteristic, whether it is in image or a certain aspect of personality, but the monster is void of other characteristics sufficient enough to consider it remotely human. Creators of such images of monsters aim to unnerve the audience with the idea of a creature remotely different from plausible nature, and to do so the creator draws a fine line between “normal” and monstrosity. In the alternate ending to I am Legend, director Francis Lawrence skirts this line, revealing an aspect of humanity behind monstrosity, and monstrosity behind humanity. Lawrence focuses on three different groups of beings: the indistinct creature, the alpha creature, and the ideal human (the character Neville). Each group in itself bears some similarities and some differences to the other, which Lawrence uses to show the audience that the line between monsters and humans is not as distinct as it is often portrayed. Although the common, indistinct creature in the film bears a human-like body, its habits and other characteristics separate it from visually appearing as human. For example, though the creatures have a human shape, each lacks any sort of hair or pigment in the skin, which, along with an absence of real clothing (each creature wears very torn and dirty clothing), serves the purpose of showing both a cultural and physical devolution of the human race. On the level of the interior physicality of the creatures, each being pants heavily and communicates in pitch-less screeches, much like a dog (albeit a crazed one). Lawrence paints this image to show a
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