If High School Is Hell, Then College Sucks

In the article we read for today's viewing, the writer explored the "high school is hell" metaphor that permeates the first three seasons of BtVS. It even gives specific examples about the first two episodes we watched, "Graduation Day Part 1" and "Graduation Day Part 2." It would certainly seem that the old idea of nothing ever being the same after high school was true for Buffy and her friends.

After watching the first episodes of season 4, however, I wondered if high school was hell, what is college? Once again the writers take common themes for freshman college students (loneliness, depression, feeling overwhelmed) and make those emotions the monster. Buffy, who is feeling a little disoriented and blue herself, realizes that other students like her are disappearing from campus, leaving behind nothing but a handwritten note. Though the vampire, Sunday, and her gang are the culprits in the actual disappearances, one could argue that as much blame lies with the overbearing professors (like Buffy's psych professor), the cliques, and the system in general for making these particular students more vulnerable to attack.

This metaphor of vampire-abducted students ties closely to the ideas in Little's article. She suggests that in BtVS, frequently the tenor of the metaphor is scarier than the vehicle (the monster). Certainly Buffy is more at risk from her funk about school than she is in danger from Sunday's vampire gang. In fact, it is her depression that seems to weaken Buffy in her first encounter with Sunday, a fight that she eventually has to flee. This unBuffylike behavior is brought about not by some super villain with new and surprising skills, but rather by a timidity of spirit resulting from a day of being a tiny fish in a very big pond.