Myth in Mass Media

The first myth that came to mind for me was in the movie I Am Legend. The myth I found in this movie was the "pull youself up by your bootstraps" myth. The main character is Robert Neville, played by Will Smith. He thinks he is the last man on Earth due to an viral epidemic that killed almost every human, and turned the survivors into man-eating "dark seekers." He lost his family and everyone else he had ever known, and lives alone with his dog, Sam. Neville was a scientist who had the only real chance of stopping the virus because he was the only one immune to it. Now he is trying to reverse the effects it had on mankind. He thinks if he finds the cure, he will be able to cure the "dark seekers," and make them human again. He works hard every day. But when his dog, and only friend, dies, he seems to give up hope. He practically attempts suicide, when a woman and her son rescue him one night. The woman then convinces Neville that there is hope, and he is able to find the cure, and eventually save mankind. He had to pull himself up from his depression and hopelessness, in order to save the world. This story could also fit in with the "wisdom of the rustic" myth. He learned a lesson from the woman, which later enabled him to save her and the rest of the human population.