Folklore
My but it has been a very long time since I last updated, hasn't it? I've been a very busy ghost, trying to frighten all the new students who keep trying to use the computers in the psychology department. Sure, it may seem mean, but all they want is the free printer. I think I might have gone overboard with that one girl who was in there alone, working on a paper. I kept flipping the power on and off, and apparently, she wasn't good at saving her work. If you were smart and used a typewriter, you wouldn't have this problem!
I've also been reading a very interesting volume on American folklore*. Particularly the section on ghosts, because I'm curious what American tradition thinks of me.
Thankfully there weren't too many stories about specific ghosts, at least not in this volume. What I'm really curious about is why these stories are carried on, year to year, generation to generation. They're frightening right? And certainly if you were in the situations described in many of the stories, you'd be quite scared. And we want to avoid being frightened, don't we? All phantasies are really very happy things, which we conjure in our imagination because we are unhappy about something, correct? So why would someone phantasize about something unpleasant, like the death of a young girl, or a horrific train crash. Certainly not pleasant things to think about. So why do you keep thinking about them?
Do they simply scare us into being good people? In "The Death Waltz" the fiancé tells the girl that she should never be with anyone else. Time passes, he presumably dies, and she tries to move on with her life. He comes back from beyond the grave and kills her with a dance (and not by stepping on her toes!) Certainly after such a story all of you want to be faithful, no doubt, lest your beloved die, come back from beyond and kill you. But really, how likely is it that your beloved will be killed, and come back to take you, as well? Not likely. Perhaps more likely that you will cheat, the word will get out, and you will be forever branded a bad person? Is that what we are more afraid of? But couldn't that be said in a different way, that was less frightening and grotesque (then say a man with a battle axe through the head)? Or is frightening and grotesque a good way to go? (Hasn't current research suggested that direct frightening and grotesque doesn't work, such is the case with graphic drinking and driving presentations, that don't actually reduce the rates of drinking and driving? But when removed like this, does it work better - assuming you believe that the situations are analogous?)
Thoughts anyone?
Elena - Please don't think me caddish for seemingly ignoring you abruptly last night! [I made cookies and offered them to people, and they all picked that moment to storm my room demanding macaroons and gingersnaps! They were the cads, really! I'll send you gingersnaps for forgiveness.] I shall collect more information on the topic at hand, and then email you or IM you.
* Botkin, B.A. (Ed). (1944). A treasury of American folklore: Stories, ballands, and traditions of the people. New York: Crown Publishers. (If anyone cares.)
I've also been reading a very interesting volume on American folklore*. Particularly the section on ghosts, because I'm curious what American tradition thinks of me.
Thankfully there weren't too many stories about specific ghosts, at least not in this volume. What I'm really curious about is why these stories are carried on, year to year, generation to generation. They're frightening right? And certainly if you were in the situations described in many of the stories, you'd be quite scared. And we want to avoid being frightened, don't we? All phantasies are really very happy things, which we conjure in our imagination because we are unhappy about something, correct? So why would someone phantasize about something unpleasant, like the death of a young girl, or a horrific train crash. Certainly not pleasant things to think about. So why do you keep thinking about them?
Do they simply scare us into being good people? In "The Death Waltz" the fiancé tells the girl that she should never be with anyone else. Time passes, he presumably dies, and she tries to move on with her life. He comes back from beyond the grave and kills her with a dance (and not by stepping on her toes!) Certainly after such a story all of you want to be faithful, no doubt, lest your beloved die, come back from beyond and kill you. But really, how likely is it that your beloved will be killed, and come back to take you, as well? Not likely. Perhaps more likely that you will cheat, the word will get out, and you will be forever branded a bad person? Is that what we are more afraid of? But couldn't that be said in a different way, that was less frightening and grotesque (then say a man with a battle axe through the head)? Or is frightening and grotesque a good way to go? (Hasn't current research suggested that direct frightening and grotesque doesn't work, such is the case with graphic drinking and driving presentations, that don't actually reduce the rates of drinking and driving? But when removed like this, does it work better - assuming you believe that the situations are analogous?)
Thoughts anyone?
Elena - Please don't think me caddish for seemingly ignoring you abruptly last night! [I made cookies and offered them to people, and they all picked that moment to storm my room demanding macaroons and gingersnaps! They were the cads, really! I'll send you gingersnaps for forgiveness.] I shall collect more information on the topic at hand, and then email you or IM you.
* Botkin, B.A. (Ed). (1944). A treasury of American folklore: Stories, ballands, and traditions of the people. New York: Crown Publishers. (If anyone cares.)