According to popular lore, bloody hooks have been left hanging on car doors since the mid-1950s. It's possible the roots of legends like The Hook and The Boyfriend's Death lie in distorted memories of real life Lover's Lane murders. There were actual cases of kids who'd gone necking coming back in pine boxes. The residue of news stories about those events would likely remain around for a while, mutating into cautionary tales with the addition of bloody hooks and scraping sounds on the roof of the car.
The key to this legend is the boyfriend's frustrated response to the girl's demand to end the date abruptly. Almost invariably, he is said to have gunned the engine and roared away. This behaviour is essential to explain how the hook became ripped from the killer's arm, and to underscore the moral of the tale. The boyfriend's frustration stems from sexual denial. His girlfriend's insistence on getting home right away puts the kibosh to any randy thoughts he'd been hoping to turn into reality that night, and he's some pissed about it.
"The Hook" is a cautionary tale about teenage sexuality. Unspoken in the story is the realization that if the girl hadn't said no, hadn't insisted upon leaving right away, the couple would have been killed. Two close calls are averted that night: the fatal encounter with the killer, and "going all the way." Refusal to do one saves the pair from the other.
Urban legends are often little morality plays designed to instill an important lesson about societal mores. "The Hook" is clearly one such tale, and its message is clear: teens shouldn't have sex. Moreover, it's up to the girl to apply the brakes. Though her boyfriend might be upset at the time, not long after he'll understand the wisdom of her refusal and thank her for it. Or at least so says the legend.
