To Believe or Not to Believe, Modern Urban Legends Essay

To Believe or Not To Believe Modern Urban Legends nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Many people have heard the tale of the dotty grandmother who tried to dry off her damp poodle by placing it in the microwave oven. The dog exploded, sad to say the least , and Grandma has never been quite the same since. The story is not true; it is an urban legend, circulating by word of mouth since the 1970s (Brunvand, 108). Urban legends are popular stories alleged to be true and transmitted from person to person by oral or written communication. Legends tend to arise spontaneously and are rarely traceable to a single point of origin. They spread primarily from individual to individual through various communication, and only in atypical cases through mass†¦show more content†¦The baby alligator gets sucked through the piping of the building and eventually ends up in the sewer where it survives on eating rats and other garbage (Brown, 127). A person is more likely to believe the tale if the storyteller gives them juicy details of a child they know getting chased by one while playing in the disgusting muck, rather than saying they heard it in a coffee shop down the street. In the case of a non-cautionary legend, someone may believe the story just because it is humorous, and they are completely amazed that such a thing has occurred. nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;The details of a good urban legend will keep the listener on the edge of his or her seat. quot;It is human nature to want to spread this feeling to others, and be the one whos got everyone wanting to hear how the story turns outquot; (Harris, 3). Even if it is a made-up joke, they may want to personalize it by claiming it happened to a friend. Another reason urban legends are so convincing is the thought that the horrendous tale happened to a quot;friend of a friend.quot; nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;The life of an urban legend does rely mostly on the details contained within it to give the story the interest it needs in order to be passed along to someone else, but there is something else that lies underneath the success of the legend. Anyone can brush off a story from aShow MoreRelatedTo Believe or Not to Believe, Modern Urban Legends1509 Words   |  7 PagesTo Believe or Not To Believe Modern Urban Legends Many people have heard the tale of the dotty grandmother who tried to dry off her damp poodle by placing it in the microwave oven. The dog exploded, sad to say the least , and Grandma has never been quite the same since. The story is not true; it is an urban legend, circulating by word of mouth since the 1970s (Brunvand, 108). Urban legends are popular stories alleged to be true and transmitted from person to person by oral or written communicationRead More The Impact of Urban Legends Throughout History and Around the World1737 Words   |  7 PagesThe Impact of Urban Legends Throughout History and Around the World Urban legends have always intrigued me. I am unsure if it is the scare factor that intrigues me, the way in which some of them are told, or some of the lessons that are supposed to be taken from them but one thing I know for sure is that I do not stand alone in this belief. In fact urban legends are told all over the world, even in countries that many have never heard of before. Many people of all backgrounds find them toRead MoreUrban Legends Essay1537 Words   |  7 PagesJordan Groll American Society: Urban Legends in the Classroom What is it about America that causes students and people to crave an education? Could it be the intense pressures of society, or could it even be the simple fact that we want to educate ourselves? For centuries people were fine with being un-educated and life was simple and laid back, but when John Cotton (a noted Puritan Minister) established the first public school in America, people began to eat it up. And thus wasRead MoreThe Wolves During Pre Columbian And Mesoamerican Times1677 Words   |  7 PagesAmericas before the European conquerors came had various forms of economic, social, and political organization. Some had developed large urban societies and others just practiced a simple form of life with agriculture and as hunter-gatherers. The Aztecs and Mayans were two very large civilizations in Mesoamerica (central and southern modern Mexico) who developed urban societies. In these societies, the construction of complex irrigation systems and the application of agricultu ral techniques favored theRead MoreInfluence Of Urban Legends On Various Art Forms Of 21st Century3442 Words   |  14 PagesSummer Project On ‘Influence of Urban Legends on Various Art forms Of 21st Century ’ In partial fulfillment of the requirements for Award of Degree of B.A. Hons. English - 3 Submitted By: Supervised By: Annant Gaur Dr. Smita Mishra A0706113077 Asst. Professor Amity Institute of English Studies and Research AMITY UNIVERSITY UTTAR PRADESH India DECLARATION Date: 30.7.2014 I, Annant Gaur, student of B.A. HonsRead MoreBigfoot : An Urban Myth Or The Missing Legend Of The Human Revolution?1317 Words   |  6 PagesIs Bigfoot an urban myth or the missing legend of the human revolution? For many years, Sasquatch, or more commonly known as Bigfoot have become one of the most popular mysteries known on the face of Earth. The ape-like creature was a well-known legend in the 19th century that was described to be a large, dark hairy beast that stands approximately seven to fourteen feet tall, weighing in at more than thirty-five to a thousand pounds with features like an ape. Some scientists believe that Bigfoot isRead MoreThe Trojan War : History Not Myth1545 Words   |  7 PagesSam Urban THEA 240-09 Professor Banerji Final First Draft The Trojan War, History not Myth The Trojan War is described as one of histories most legendary battles. This battle is told to have lasted ten years, resulting in the eventual collapse of Troy, under the siege of Greek forces. Modern knowledge of the Trojan War has survived mainly through the account given in Homer’s Illiad, and while having proved to be a rich source of inspiration for other writers, artists, and even filmmakers in recentRead MoreCan Teens Withstand Media s Influence Of Substances?1174 Words   |  5 PagesErikson states in the teenage developments it’s a fight between identity and role confusion , society conditions the mind of a teenager and causes chaos between identity and their roles. In this essay it will be proven that in the case of teenagers, modern day society portrays ideologies of substance abuse through media, the economy and gender. According to Oxford substance abuse is the â€Å"overindulgence in or dependence on an addictive substance, especially alcohol or drugs.† An example of substanceRead More Cannibalism Essay examples714 Words   |  3 PagesAfrica, since these were the primary continents subjected to European killing and conquest sprees from the Middle Ages through modern times. Despite what anyone says, there are documented examples of cannibalistic cultures and practices. It was usually a spiritual ritual. In some cases, the bodies of enemies were consumed in order to absorb the enemies strength. Believe it or not were all descended from cannibals. Recent genetic studies revealed that almost all humans have genes designed to provideRead MoreCollective Behavior Theories1765 Words   |  8 Pagestemporarily insane within a crowd and then return to normal when they leave the situation. The contagion refers to a rapidly spreading infection. People become engaged in collective behavior and the p ath of activity spreads over a certain area. The first modern theory of collective behavior used contagion to describe how the behavior spread from person to person like some kind of disease or infection. LeBon thought that crowds changed people. He believed â€Å"members of the crowd are reduced to the level of

The Life of Kate Chopin - 1083 Words

The life of Kate Chopin Kate Chopin led a fascinating life filled with times of triumph but also times of great loss. Living in the South during the post-Civil War era, the setting and experiences of her life would have a great impact on the subjects of her writing. Chopin began writing as a way to express her frustration with life. This is why her emotions about life are conveyed so strongly in her writing. One of her short stories, Juanita, is an excellent example of how Chopins life affected her writing. The story of Juanita is that of a young woman who, though not incredibly beautiful, had many admirers. The people of her small town gossiped continually about which man she would marry. Would it be the man†¦show more content†¦Juanita, on the other hand, did think of love. When she felt love for the poor one-legged man, she faced an important decision. As with many of Chopins female protagonists, Juanita was strong enough to choose her happiness over the constraints of society. Juanita has turned her broad back upon the whole race of masculine bipeds, and lavishes the wealth of her undivided affections upon the one-legged man. (Chopin 88) Fox-Genovese believes that during this consistent search for a sense of who she was, Kate Chopin developed a certain understanding of the complexities of the human soul. With Chopin the dark crannies of the human soul were part of what it is to be human. It was part of her war against platitudes, it was part of her sense that theres no true beauty without complexity (and) conflict. (Fox-Genovese) Chopin refused to accept the stereotypes of the Hallmark Card view of life. (Fox-Genovese) She believed that life does not exist without friction; it is human nature to cause these clashes. In Juanita, Chopin shows a wicked side of societys soul when the townspeople dismiss the one-legged man and pay no attention to him until Juanita becomes interested in him. Society creates conflict when it sets limitations on individuals, and then the individuals (in this case Juanita and the one-legged man) defy these limitations. To Chopin, the examination of these intricate interactions between peopleShow MoreRelatedThe Life and Works of Kate Chopin1569 Words   |  6 PagesKate wrote two novels and hundreds of short stories. Few of her stories were â€Å"Story of an Hour† and â€Å"The Awakening†. One of Kate Chopins most famous stories is the Story of an Hour. In the story Chopin was brave enough to challenge the society in which she lived because in the first half of the 19th century, women were not allowed the freedoms men enjoyed in the judgments of the law, the church or the government. This famous short story showed the conflict between the social traditio nal requirementsRead MoreKate Chopin s Life And Feminism1281 Words   |  6 PagesKate Chopin’s Life and Works- Feminism Kate Chopin, born on February 8th, 1850, was a progressive writer in the midst of a conservative and unequal time. She exposed the unfair undertones of society in such a way that made people outrage and condemn some of her works. However, in the early 1900s, her works were examined again and people started to listen to her ideas. One of these main motifs that Chopin’s works kept bringing up were feminism and equality. In The Awakening, Edna Pontellier, a radicalRead MoreIn The Life And Writings Of Kate Chopin And Mary E. Freeman,1343 Words   |  6 PagesIn the life and writings of Kate Chopin and Mary E. Freeman, how can you see the obvious cry for women to have an equal status in a man’s world? Chopin and Freeman lived in a time when men dominated women; a woman’s job was to marry, have a home, and raise children. Women were their husband’s property and law did not protect them if they were abused. (Plaza) Owning land, making financial decisions, and voting was among the many things women could not do. Freeman and Chopin both used their literaryRead MoreA life without Freedom in Kate Chopin ´s The Story of an Hour Essay examples849 Words   |  4 Pages Kate Chopin’s short story titled â€Å"The Story of an Hour† shows us in a number ways that life without freedom is no life at all. In the story, a nineteenth century women named Mrs. Mallard finds out about her husband’s death. She has heart disease so Josephine, Mrs. Mallard’s sister, tries to break the bad news to her as calmly as possible. After hearing the news, Mrs. Mallard’s unpredictable reaction shocks us the readers as well as the characters in the story. Instead of feeling theRead MoreThe Life of a Woman After Man â€Å"Free! Body and soul free! She kept whispering†(705). Kate Chopin1500 Words   |  6 PagesThe Life of a Woman After Man â€Å"Free! Body and soul free! She kept whispering†(705). Kate Chopin installs illumination of hope for all women with her short tale of a woman’s realization of life A.H (after husband). In The story of an Hour, shortly after her husband is claimed dead a woman realizes that life without the constraints of marriage and a husband could be liberating. Chopin writes in the 19th century of culminating controversial topics. The Story of an Hour unravels in the time span of anRead MoreKate Chopin s Story Of The Hour Essay982 Words   |  4 PagesKate Chopin was an American author who wrote two novels that got published and at least a hundred short stories. In Kate’s short story The Story of the Hour she uses some of her traumatic event that happened in her lifespan in the short story even though it the story is fictional. A lot of her fictions were set in Louisiana and her best-known works focused on the lives of sensitive intelligent women. One-third of Mrs. Chopin ’s stories are children’s stories. A lot of Mrs. Chopin’s novels were forgottenRead MoreThe Awakening on Kate Chopins The Awakening1745 Words   |  7 Pages The time period of the 1880s that Kate Chopin lived in influenced her to write The Awakening, a very controversial book because of many new depictions of women introduced in the book. The Awakening is a book about a woman, Edna Pontellier. In the beginning, she is a happy woman with her husband and 2 kids vacationing at Grand Isle. While there, Edna realizes she is in love with Robert Lebrun and that she was just forced into an unloving/dissatisfying marriage with Mr. Pontellier. Robert howeverRead MoreThe Unique Style Of Kate Chopin s Writing1603 Words   |  7 PagesThe unique style of Kate Chopin’s writing has influenced and paved the way for many female authors. Although not verbally, Kate Chopin aired political and social issues affecting women and challenging the validity of such restrictions through fiction. Kate Chopin, a feminist in her time, prevailed against the notion that a woman’s purpose was to only be a housewife and nothing more. Kate Chopin fortified the importance of women empowerment, self-expression, self-assertion, and female sexuality throughRead MoreA Brief Note On Kate Chopin s Chopin 1642 Words   |  7 PagesMaddy Mummey Mrs. Corby AP English 12 20 April 2015 Kate Chopin Kate Chopin was a successful author of numerous short stories and novels during her life; many critics refer to her as a forerunner author of the 20th century (Kate). Throughout Chopin s life and the many experiences she endured, she grew a great sense of respect and empowerment towards women. However, she is not categorized as a feminist or a suffragist (Kate). Chopin insistently supported the revolutionary notion that women wereRead MoreThe Storm By Kate Chopin1649 Words   |  7 Pageslike writers in present day, Kate Chopin was a writer who wrote to reflect obstacles and instances occurring within her time period. Writing about personal obstacles, as well as issues occurring in the time period she lived, Chopin proved to be distinctive upon using her virtue. Kate Chopin was a determined individual, with true ambition and ability to produce writings that reflected women on a higher pedestal than they were valued in her time. â€Å"The Storm† by Kate Chopin is a short story written to

The definition of the genre of the Bible Free Essays

John The genre of this book is gospel. The key theme of John is Jesus Christ is the Son of God, and he is the one who gives everlasting life. Key characters in this book are Jesus, John the Baptist, Lazarus, and Mary Magdalene. We will write a custom essay sample on The definition of the genre of the Bible or any similar topic only for you Order Now The first part of John tells of Jesus’ ministry and teachings. John tells of how Jesus performed miracles such as healing the lame and blind and bringing Lazarus back from death. The story of the feeding of the five thousand is also mentioned in John. In chapters 13-17 John tells of Jesus’ time just before his death and resurrection. Here, Jesus prays for His disciples and for Himself. The last part of the book tells of the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Here, He is crucified on the cross after being trialed and convicted illegally. Jesus appears to Mary Magdalene after arising from His tomb. He also appears to His disciples. Acts The genre of this book is narrative. The key theme of Acts is showing the reader how believers in Jesus were empowered by the Holy Ghost to spread His Word throughout the world. Key characters are Paul, Peter, John, Stephen, Timothy, and James. The author of Acts is Luke. The beginning chapters tell of the Church starting from infancy. Peter delivers a wonderful sermon to the Jews. As a result, three thousand people accepted Christ as their Savior. The apostles start spreading the Word to different areas. Luke tells of how Stephen is falsely accused and stoned to death. The Apostle Paul (originally named Saul) has a life altering experience while traveling to Damascus. Before being convicted by the Holy Spirit, Paul oppressed early Christians. The last parts of Acts tell of the gospel being spread to the Gentiles. Paul travels to Macedonia with Silas to spread the gospel. Paul then travels to Jerusalem and gets arrested and is imprisoned. Hebrews The genre of this book is epistle. The purpose of Hebrews was to show Christians that Jesus Christ was perfect and greater than anything Judaism had to offer. The author wrote Hebrews to a group of Christians that were debating returning back to Judaism and reverting back to their old ways. Unlike other books in the New Testament, Hebrews brings focus on the Old Testament. In early chapters of Hebrews, the author presents to the reader the power of the Word. He also tells that,† faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen†(11:1) The author gives us great examples of the faithful people from the Old Testament and tells of having faith in Jesus is the basis of our salvation. The author conveys to the recipients of Hebrews that straying away from faith will have consequences and that they not turn away from the Truth. James The genre of this book is epistle. The purpose of James was to encourage Jewish believers to live great Christian lives and to continue growing in faith. The key characters in James are himself and Jewish Christians. James teaches the relationship between faith and works and how faith should be put into action. He states that we should not only listen to the Word but be doers of the Word and that good works are not the cause of salvation. Good works are the result of salvation. He tells the believers that everyone is a sinner and if even one of the Ten Commandments is broken, then all are broken. James then instructs that we should submit to God and serve Him and to turn away from evil. He ends the letter telling us to be patient in suffering and to pray for one another. He also expresses to us the importance of living in faith. Revelation The genre of this book is apocalyptic. The purpose of Revelation is to give hope to all of us and to continue to watch for the return of the King. It also gives of warning of the Final Judgment and what nonbelievers will have to endure. The author of Revelation is John. He explains how an angel comes to him in a vision instructing him to send letters to seven churches about his revelation. The book tells of how the final days will be on earth and how there will be an Anti-Christ that will rule until God throws him into the Lake of Fire. John tells of plagues that will be cast onto the world and he speaks of the final resting place of the non-believer. They will show the wrath of God’s judgment on the wicked. Lastly, John describes  the New Heaven and the New Jerusalem. There will be no tears, crying, or death! How to cite The definition of the genre of the Bible, Papers