Urban Legends

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We have all heard of strange and gory stories that are supposedly true, experienced by a friend of a friend. Whether true or not these so called "urban legends" tend to circulate throughout society thriving on each individual's fears and curiosity. What most people don't realize is, within these tales lies the attitudes and values of a community. These tales do not survive throughout the years solely on the basis of their entertainment level, but due to the fact that they reflect society's fears and anxieties. In dissecting these tales one can indefinitely find the social fallacy against females that has existed for decades, as well as the fears women have against men. However, more importantly, the values that society hold are hidden within. Throughout these tales the idea that society values life and the sexual innocence of a female has proven to be a frequently manifested and completely pervasive underlying theme.

Stories that continuously circulate throughout our community often times are

horrendous in nature, yet believable and realistic enough such that a reader or listener can connect with it.

When Jane went to the store and returned to her car to find an old lady inside, she went to get help. It was a good thing too because the old lady was actually a man who had a machete hidden in the back seat.

Now this story probably stirred up many people because it is reasonably sound and shocking. However looking beyond the surface, one notices subtle innuendoes about females, males, and violence. In this urban legend, females are portrayed as weak, frightful, and naïve. Jane in seeking help from a male, suggest that she is weak and needed a man to protect her. This deceptive portrayal of females is typic...

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...e man turns this act into a grotesque one because the audience discovers that the dog is dead and that her hand was being licked by a perverted man. This could symbolize the whole act of act of intercourse, a beautiful experience, but when one is violated the act becomes sick and intercourse is no longer seen as beautiful, but dirty. This tale has recently surfaced because the rise in sexual offenses against our youth is rapidly increasing.

Urban legends often times provide us with a glimpse of the real world. From the sick and neurotic to the innocent and young, societies attitudes and concerns are portrayed within these tales. These attitudes, fears, views and concerns arise due to the strong values society embraces. These "urban legends" should not only serve to entertain, but to further enlighten an individual's understanding of society.

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