When we explore the challenges and hardships of survival, we can easily draw a number of comparisons between the design of the post-apocalyptic worlds of Francis Lawrence and Cormac McCarthy in I Am Legend and The Road, respectively. Both plots involve the main character as one of the very few people left in this world, and each protagonist will do anything to protect their comrades. While both Lawrence's film and McCarthy's novel create internal conflicts within the main character, Robert, the protagonist of I Am Legend, also has to deal with zombies, while The Man deals with the conflict of the world around him. This difference is highlighted in the construction of each of the characters, with Lawrence's survivor being strong and well prepared against any threat. McCarthy chooses to present the Man in a weak and dying state, with minimal supplies to share between him and his son. This contrast, however, is also representative of the difference in setting between the two stories, with Robert Neville fortifying himself in an abundantly supplied New York City, and The Man and his son wandering long stretches of barren highway. The last major contrast exists in each narrator's interpretation of the meaning behind a gun, with Lawrence using a gun to kill; meanwhile, for McCarthy, the gun is the symbol of hope. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay Lawrence first characterizes Robert Neville with a mise-en-scene using a high-angle shot of his car driving through the city, directly following a series of establishing shots showing the abandoned cityscape. As the audience watches it speed through the abandoned cityscape, the sound of the powerful engine fades. Eventually the audience sees a medium shot of him in the car, allowing them to see him as a hardened man for survival complete with jeans, combat boots. , leather jacket and assault rifle at his side. Lawrence's treatment makes viewers believe that Robert is a well-endowed man. This portrayal causes the audience's initial impression to be that he is a strong, admirable, and supposedly indestructible character. Lawrence's use of staging, particularly costumes and props, conveys this message to the audience. The audience sees the well-worn leather jacket and the strong, bright, sharp and natural lighting. Such imagery is paired with the bright red muscle car, contrasting sharply with the desolation of the city. Shots are usually shot from a low angle when Robert is in the frame, giving the feeling of power and control radiating from him. The shots are also generally still and stable, placed statically on Robert or following his car as he rolls it through the streets. Highlighting once again the supposed control and determination that Lawrence suggests are necessary to withstand the challenges of survival. Alternatively, McCarthy develops a protagonist depicted as weak, sickly, and ultimately doomed to die; creating the dark and depressed theme that resonates throughout the novel. The first indications come from images presented as a bloody cough from The Man, who carried a huge load and pushed the cart up the side of a mountain so his son could see the beach. As a result, the reader feels very sympathetic towards The Man, who is obviously not equipped to deal with the challenges of survival as effectively as Robert..