In the article, “High School is Hell,” the author Tracy Little’s main focus is to show how Buffy the Vampire Slayer the show makes use of metaphors. Growing up in the American society many teenagers feel fearful about high school and have heard many scary things about it. In the show Buffy the Vampire Slayer, these rumors or metaphors are real. In normal society someone might make a statement such as, “I would kill to be on the cheerleading squad.” In the show however, these statements are made quite literal and the characters do actually kill one another to get onto the cheerleading squad. There is a greater meaning behind making these metaphors into reality. The show is used to make teenagers today less scared or nervous about entering into the terrifying high school scene. The author also adds others sources and examples to support her argument. Frankenstein, a book written by Mary Shelley in the nineteenth century does a very similar thing. The author uses the monster that is created to mimic the fears that people had in that time period about the new developments in science. The book had some greater meaning or importance than just to entertain an audience. Each of the beginning episodes of Buffy has metaphors behind them; whether that be peer pressure, relationship issues, cliques, or bullying. High school is indeed a stressful time in any teenager’s life and by using monsters and metaphors together, this television show does a good job of legitimizing the feelings of the viewer and helping them put their own fears into perspective.
I agree that by exaggerating the common metaphors that play off the fear that teens have about high school, the show makes high school seem less scary and intimidating.
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