Let Them Eat Red Velvet Cake: American Ethos as Seen in Modern Urban Legends

Abstract

We have seen that every society has a body of folk literature. There also appears within every culture an underlying set of values. Just as an undercurrent runs through a body of water, these values run deep in the mind of a society affecting things on the surface as well. These ethos which both arise from and give direction to a culture shape an individual’s thoughts, actions and reactions. Like the folklore of a society, the values held by that society reflect a myriad of historical, social and economic influences. For this reason, it becomes possible to search for modern American values by looking through modern American lore. Wishing to see the spontaneous, unrehearsed nature of American ethos, the lore of modern life— urban legends— shall be expIored.