Oxtail Soup Short Story

The way the story is told has a large impact on what the story is supposed to mean. In the tale of the Oxtail Soup, the actual soup varies from story to story. Some say it is Oxtail soups which is a “phallic symbol” (pg.71). This creates significance in the story because it shows that the couple were sexually involved which goes against the expectations of students, who are often discouraged of studying and dating. Not only that, but the soup serves as a symbol of domesticity, so the fact that she would make the soup signified that there was a level of devotion. This was automatically assumed to involve having some sort of a sexual relationship as well. The multiple versions will change from who drinks the soup to the type of soup, but what doesn’t change is the girl …show more content…
To a westerner this might not be very clear as to how a story like that could have much significance besides just providing a good scare, but to these students it comes with a moral significance.
The story of the little finger and single braid have their own underlying message. They talk about these male students who would unknowingly fall for a female ghost. The story of the single braid talks about a girl who went to visit her boyfriend, and in attempt to avoid being checked for papers she took the train. Upon jumping out of the train her braid got caught by the train which ripped off her hair and face. What is commonly said is that when people see her they encounter a girl with no face. Apparently “the lack of a face is not uncommon in ghost stories; ... [and] that female ghosts seen by men often do not show their face” (794). That is interesting to include because it is not common to hear stories of a woman with no face. There are stories that the tale of “La Llorna” does not have a face and that she may also at times personify death. That