The Stranger Theme Card

Quotes:
1. “Maman died today. Or yesterday maybe, I don't know. I got a telegram from the home: ‘Mother deceased. Funeral tomorrow. Faithfully yours.’ That doesn't mean anything. Maybe it was yesterday.” 2. “I said that people never change their lives, that in any case one life was as good as another and that I wasn't dissatisfied with mine here at all.”
3. “For everything to be consummated, for me to feel less alone, I had only to wish that there be a large crowd of spectators the day of my execution and that they greet me with cries of hate.”
4. “Everything was so natural, so well handled, and so calmly acted out that I had the ridiculous impression of being ‘one of the family.’”
5. “Meanwhile, the sun was getting low outside and it wasn’t as hot as before.”
Vehicles:
1. Foreshadowing
2. Setting
3. Existentialism
4. Conscience
Conflicts:
1. Man v. Himself
2. Man v. Society
3. Conformity v. Individualism
Subjects:
1. Individuality
2. Society
3. Meaningless of Life
Significant Themes:
1. Death – The death of the individual affects no one outside of the individual as the world continues on just as it did before.
2. Consciousness – Consciousness can come at the most consequential of times, summarizing past actions and unveiling its purpose (or lack thereof).
Summary:
Meursault, the narrator, is a young man living in Algiers. After receiving a telegram informing him of his mother's death, he takes a bus to Marengo, where his mother had been living in an old persons' home.That night, Meursault keeps vigil over his mother's body. The next morning, before the funeral, he meets with the director again. The director informs him that Thomas Perez, an old man who had grown very close to Meursault's mother, will be attending the funeral service. That night, he happily arrives back in Algiers. The next day, Meursault goes to the public beach for a swim. There, he runs into Marie Cardona, his former co-worker. After seeing a movie they spend the night together. When Meursault wakes up, Marie is gone. He stays in bed until noon and then sits on his balcony until evening, watching the people pass on the street. The following day, Monday, Meursault returns to work. Meursault also runs into his neighbor, Raymond Sintes, who is widely rumored to be a pimp. Raymond invites Meursault over for dinner. Over the meal, Raymond recounts how he beat up his mistress after he discovered that she had been cheating on him. As a result, he got into a fight with her brother. Raymond now wants to torment his mistress even more, but he needs Meursault to write a letter to lure his mistress back to him. The following Saturday, Marie visits Meursault at his apartment. She asks Meursault if he loves her, and he replies that “it didn't mean anything,” but probably not. The two then hear shouting coming from Raymond's apartment. They go out into the hall and watch as a policeman arrives. The policeman slaps Raymond and says that he will be summoned to the police station for beating up his mistress. Later, Raymond asks Meursault to testify on his behalf, and Meursault agrees. Marie asks Meursault if he wants to marry her. He replies indifferently but says that they can get married if she wants to, so they become engaged. The following Sunday, Meursault, Marie, and Raymond go to a beach house owned by Masson, one of Raymond's friends. They swim happily in the ocean and then have lunch. That afternoon, Masson, Raymond, and Meursault run into two Arabs on the beach, one of whom is the brother of Raymond's mistress. A fight breaks out and Raymond is stabbed. After tending to his wounds, Raymond returns to the beach with Meursault. They find the Arabs at a spring. Raymond considers shooting them with his gun, but Meursault talks him out of it and takes the gun away. Later, however, Meursault returns to the spring to cool off, and, for no apparent reason, he shoots Raymond's mistress's brother. Meursault is arrested and thrown into jail. As he awaits his trial, Meursault slowly adapts to prison life. His isolation from nature, women, and cigarettes torments him at first, but he eventually adjusts to living without them, and soon does not even notice their absence. He manages to keep his mind occupied, and he sleeps for most of each day. Meursault is taken to the courthouse early on the morning of his trial. The subject of the trial quickly shifts away from the murder to a general discussion of Meursault's character, and of his reaction to his mother's death in particular. The director and several other people who attended the vigil and the funeral are called to testify, and they all attest to Meursault's lack of grief or tearsDuring his summation the following day, the prosecutor calls Meursault a monster and says that his lack of moral feeling threatens all of society. Meursault is found guilty and is sentenced to death by beheading. Meursault returns to prison to await his execution. He struggles to come to terms with his situation, and he has trouble accepting the certainty and inevitability of his fate. He imagines escaping and he dreams of filing a successful legal appeal. One day, the chaplain comes to visit against Meursault's wishes. He urges Meursault to renounce his atheism and turn to God, but Meursault refuses. Like the magistrate, the chaplain cannot believe that Meursault does not long for faith and the afterlife. Meursault suddenly becomes enraged, grabs the chaplain, and begins shouting at him. He declares that he is correct in believing in a meaningless, purely physical world. For the first time, Meursault truly embraces the idea that human existence holds no greater meaning. He abandons all hope for the future and accepts the “gentle indifference of the world.”
Major Character:
Meursaults- psychologically detached from the world around him. Events that would be very significant for most people, such as a marriage proposal or a parent's death, do not matter to him, at least not on a sentimental level.
In displaying his indifference, Meursault implicitly challenges society's accepted moral standards, which dictate that one should grieve over death. Because Meursault does not grieve, society sees him as an outsider, a threat, even a monster.
Marie - Marie delights in physical contact. Though Marie is disappointed when Meursault expresses his indifference toward love and marriage, she does not end the relationship or rethink her desire to marry him. Marie never grasps the indifference of the universe, and she never comes to understand the redemptive value of abandoning hope.
Raymond - character traits contrast greatly with Meursault's, he also functions as a foil for Meursault. Whereas Meursault is simply amoral, Raymond is clearly immoral. Raymond's treatment of his mistress is violent and cruel, and he nearly kills the Arab himself before Meursault talks him out of it. Additionally, whereas Meursault passively reacts to the events around him, Raymond initiates action. It is possible that Raymond begins his relationship with Meursault intending only to use him, and then, like Marie, becomes drawn to Meursault's peculiarities.

For Those Who Think Young

One of the most well known soft drinks brands on the market, Pepsi Co.’s marketing campaign is also known for its creative advertisements on television which are usually endorsed by celebrities. With the usage of Hollywood celebs, Pepsi seeks to engage people in the tween to early 30s demographics. However, during a television advertisement in the early 2000s, Pepsi expanded their demographic outreach to include a majority of their drinkers.

Starring the pop singer Britney Spears during the high of her singing career, Pepsi was positive that her appearance in the television commercial would boost market sales. Instead of only targeting their usual viewers, Pepsi sought after a wider audience by campaigning a small history of Pepsi. Starting in 1958, the ad appears in black and white while featuring Britney dressed as a ‘50s housewife. In the scene she is surrounded by the extras in ‘50s attire and sitting at a soda stand. Continuing on from 1958 to 1963 and 1966, the color switches from black and white to color. Not only does Britney’s outfits changes throughout the commercial but the change to color reflects upon the event in television history when viewers were finally able to watch TV in color. Also in the 1966 area of the ad, Britney says, “Taste that beats the other cold.” This discreetly enforces the idea that the Pepsi soft drink is superior to their competitor Coca-Cola.

The next two decades shown are the 1970s and 1980s. During the 1970s the reflection of hippies and peace enjoying a Pepsi also gives a political notion that during the Vietnam era, Pepsi was against the war. Evoking a sense of logos to the viewers that Coca-Cola was a supporter of the Vietnam War people therefore should not consume that brand. In the 1989 spot, Britney is dressed in a man’s suit and singing, “Simply irresistible” while pictures of the Pepsi can reappear on the screen. By recreating a hit song of the ‘80s and re-singing the lyrics to Robert Palmer’s “Simply Irresistible” along with copy the music video, audiences in their 20s, 30s and rocker fans are the main targeted groups.

Lastly Britney appears in the present day dressed in her usual outfit of tight clothes and mid drift showing. Going off into a dance routine the commercial proceeds to flash throw the previous decades and show the transformation of apparel in the US but also reemphasizing the years Pepsi has been around. By ending on the note of saying “For those who think young,” Pepsi’s choice of words allows all viewers to nostalgic memories. No matter the decade, viewers from ages 60 to tweens can relate to the time periods shown. The simplistic language, upbeat tunes and aligning of music tunes to the music of the times is an excellent marketing strategy. The strategic usage of changing clothes, color of the TV and, apparel to enhance the visual imagery of the viewer, allows Pepsi to keep their devout customers but also draw in new ones.

Fairy Tales and Castles

He says he looks in the mirror
And he can't tell anymore
Who he really is and who they believe him to be
And he says he walks a thin line
Between what is and what could be
He's getting closer
To something he can't understand

Cause there's a crack in his plastic crown
And his throne of ice is melting
He climbed his ladder
There was nothing there
And now it's a long way down
Cause on and on and on he goes
Dancing on the grave
Of what he thought was still alive, hey
On and on and on he goes
Dancing in mansions made of twigs
And castles made of sand

He says his head is filled with
Cartoons and fairy tales
And he's trapped inside a dungeon of dolls
With smiles on their faces
He's built a pretty cage
His shows on a beautiful stage
With candy coated prison bars
And chains that look like jewelry

Cause there's a crack in his plastic crown
And his throne of ice is melting
He climbed his ladder
There was nothing there
And now it's a long way down

Cause on and on and on he goes
Dancing on the grave
Of what he thought was still alive, hey
On and on and on he goes
Dancing in mansions made of twigs
And castles made of sand
Cause he lives inside
A fairy tale sand castle now
And there's room inside
For false expectations and illusions

Cause there's a crack in his plastic crown
And his throne of ice is melting
He climbed his ladder
There was nothing there
And now it's a long way down
Cause on and on and on he goes
Dancing on the grave
Of what he thought was still alive, hey
On and on and on he goes
Dancing in mansions made of twigs
And castles made of sand
Cause on and on and on he goes
Dancing on the grave
Of what he thought was still alive, hey
On and on and on he goes
Dancing in mansions made of twigs
And castles made of sand
Cause on and on and on he goes
Dancing on the grave
Of what he thought was still alive, hey
On and on and on he goes
Dancing in mansions made of twigs
And castles made of sand
Cause on and on and on he goes
Dancing on the grave
Of what he thought was still alive, hey
On and on and on he goes
Dancing in mansions made of twigs
And castles made of sand

In Lifehouse’s, “Fairy Tales and Castles” the singer utilizes childish fantasies in order to portray a deeper meaning; losing the essence of childhood to the reality of the real world. The informal diction, repetition and unusual lyrics allows listeners to concentrate on the message begun sung rather than hearing typical songs of love relationships or tough situations in life which are a continual theme in the alternate rock genre.

“He says he looks in the mirror
And he can't tell anymore
Who he really is and who they believe him to be
And he says he walks a thin line
Between what is and what could be
He's getting closerTo something he can't understand”

The opening stanza of the song immediately starts off describing the main person as someone who is lost and confused about his place in the world. Although no age is specifically given, one may guess a difficult situation has caused the man to reflect about what type of person he is. Possibly having to handle with the pressures of growing up in the turbulent teenage years, he is being influenced by peer pressure to be someone he does not want to be; yet, in reality, he himself does not know who he really is. Without a distinct personality or persona, he is “walks a thin line” of choosing between moral and immoral choices that may affect his life.

“Cause there's a crack in his plastic crown
And his throne of ice is melting
He climbed his ladder
There was nothing there
And now it's a long way down”

During the second stanza the idea of reality slowly affecting a young man is when “the throne of ice is melting.” The symbolic meaning of sitting on a high throne or idea about a how the world is becomes liquidated over the years. Either realizing the mighty throne which he sat on before was one of power or high status now disappears as he is forced to compete with millions of others in the world. No longer is he the king on the throne of his hometown but rather just another human trying to make a living. By “climbing the ladder” of reality he reaches a stage in his life which seems to fulfill him; yet, he was so engrossed with the immediate pleasures that when he realized these didn’t fulfill his happiness, he must start anew.


“He says his head is filled with
Cartoons and fairy tales
And he's trapped inside a dungeon of dolls
With smiles on their faces
He's built a pretty cage
His shows on a beautiful stage
With candy coated prison bars
And chains that look like jewelry”

Grasping the concept of the real world is hard for the man to understand because everything he was told of as a child does not really exist in life. Filled with fantasies of happily ever after endings, the man is forced to reconsider everything he has been taught. Being trapped inside a dungeon of dolls may be symbolic of him being trapped at job where all he sees are faces with detached smiles. However, he builds a stage which could mean he starts a career in the adult entertainment business. The use of an oxymoron to describe the “candy coated prison bars” further enforce the man’s idea of living in a fantasy world filled with women dressed in “chains that look like jewelry.”

“Cause on and on and on he goes
Dancing on the grave
Of what he thought was still alive
And on and on and on he goes
Dancing in mansions made of twigs
And castles made of sand”

The chorus of the sing continues to reiterate the theme of living a fantasy life. Even as life goes on and mistakes are made, he still remains alive with the same old habits. By “dancing in mansions made of twigs/ and castle made of sand,” the man never can hold onto anything permanently. Although he may attempt to live a luxurious lifestyle, he can never match up to that of his fantasies; therefore, he ultimately lets life go by in whatever direction the wind blows.

Sestina

From the hill top the General watches the rising sun
Watching the sun mingle with the night
All is quiet except for the birds taking flight.
Preparing for another day on the run
Memorizing the field of green
A whistle breaks the morning silence.

Soldiers awake with an uneasy silence
Darkness still around but with a glare of sun
Here there is no green.
The camp fires smolder from last night
It looks like Samuel went for a run
Either that or he took flight.

Clothes and armed the men take flight
So long the morning silence
With boots strapped on the men are ready to run.
While marching they watch the rising sun
There is no dark night
Instead they approach the field of green.

Approaching shadows cover the green
Some soldiers wish they could take flight
But they know they will be lost by night.
The pounding drums disrupts the silence
Now high in the sky, shines the sun
Aligned and ready, nowhere to run.

Men march at a slow run
Trampling over the field of green
The men begin to sweat because of the sun.
There is no time to take flight,
Canons firing all around take away the silence
Every man prays to make it to the night.

Huddled together, covered by night
To weak to run
The camp moans and groans but mostly there is silence.
The fusion of red in the field of green
Made many men wish they took flight
Another day will come with the sun.

In this open field of green,
Courageous men refused to run,
Now they enjoy the everlasting sun.

Feminine/Masculine Found Poem

There I was, at the Chapel of Love
With a pink diamond ring on one hand
Holding on to a flash of fuchsia bouquet.
And there I stood
Alongside my Calvin Klein man.

Dressed in a Ferrari black tux
I smiled at my luck,
To find my Romeo
And I was his Juliet
Smiling with a china glaze
I took my vows
In Las Vegas that night.

Off to Aspen we went
And sealed our lasting love
Underneath the luminous moonlight

How quickly the honeymoon ends
How stupid to believe I found my dream man
He truly was a one man show
I guess it’s a man testosterone.
Always seeking to find another fling
He sought out the women with the mermaid’s chest
I guess I wasn’t his Playmate gal.

My heart was broken,
I could not bear the pain,
I cried myself to sleep,
Until the middle of the night
I awoke to a luminous moon
That’s when I conjured up my voodoo.
Stealthy I left the room,
And grabbed my handy tool
The sterling silver rose knife
Now rests in his sliver ice heart.

Sensual Poem

One Sunday afternoon I fell to the ground. A green blanket cushioned my fall. At the age of ten I was klutz to be seen. But I got up quickly and let the game proceed. I ran. I kicked. I scored a goal. My team won the game. We celebrated with an array of motley Gatorade drinks. That night my abdomen convulsed rapidly. I thought I had to pee. Yet nothing came out of me. My mother gave me blood red acetaminophen. The next day there was nothing wrong with me. During school the pain grew. Droplets of pain cornered my eyes. It was so hard to breathe or move. At last I succumbed to the nurse’s room. Lying on the hard pin cushion bed, I waited for my car ride. At the doctor’s they found nothing wrong. He sent me home to rest and sleep. I got to skip the next two days. I watched TV and ate ice cream. My days were fun but they had to end. Mom believed I finessed them. On Tuesday night Mom said I had to go to school again. I never made it until next Monday. During the night I awoke to the Reaper’s scythe in my lower right abdomen. Inside the achromatic walls I was laid to rest. Bustling behind closed curtains were shadows of worker ants. I awaited my doom with octopus arms covering me. The pulsating rhythm finally put me to sleep. I awoke a few hours later to find myself surrounded by others. Gloved white ghosts hovered above me. Poke here. Feel there. They endlessly molested me. At last I was deemed worth for surgery. Maneuvered around the labyrinth halls; I finally reached my destiny. Two oscillating doors were all I could see. The gates of the inferno were anticipating me. Pushed through the doors I was left to the white roped man. The sound of oldies music gave a torturing screech to the blandness walls. Only two dark blueberries peeped over the mask. He told me to relax and breathe. But all I could think of was the smell of wintermint being emitted towards me. Quickly a mask covered my mouth. “Inhale slowly and let me ease your pain. Trust me you wont feel anything.” He then proceeded with alacrity to operate on me. Too weak to move or refute, I sunk into obscurity.

Motley (adj.) made up of different colors
Convulsed (v. past part) make a muscle or body part go into a repetitive spasm
Finessed (v. past part) to use subtle tricks or deception to manipulate something or somebody
Scythe (n) long, curving blade fastened at an angle to a handle, for cutting grass, grain, etc., by hand.
Achromatic (adj.) without color and therefore white, gray, or black in appearance
Pulsating (v. present part.) to vibrate or throb
Labyrinth (n) place with a lot of crisscrossing or complicated passages, tunnels, or paths in which it would be easy to become lost
Oscillating (v. past part) to swing between two points with a rhythmic motion Alacrity (n) eager readiness
Obscurity (n) state of being unknown

"Here's Your Nickel Back"

Formed in the mid-1990s, the Canadian rock group Nickelback recently released their sixth album in November. Emerging to the music scene in the early 2000s, the group has achieved multi-platinum success over the years. Formed by lead singer Chad Kroeger, the rock group’s current band consists of Mike Kroeger on bass, Ryan Peake on guitar and Daniel Adair on drums.

Founder Chad Kroeger was born on November 15, 1974 in a small farming town of Hanna, Alberta, Canada. After he taught himself how to play the guitar at the age of 13, Chad ran into trouble with the law and was sent to juvenile detention. After being released he graduated from high school and afterwards began to tour with the band in the early ‘90s. After a brief period of band break ups and relocating to Vancouver, the group eventually laid down several tracks on the radio. Slowly afterwards their songs gained airplay and the band became celebrities in Canada. In 2001 the song, “How You Remind Me” played on US radio stations and became an instant hit. While the song gained popularity in both countries Nickelback became the second group in history to have a number one song on both Canadian and American rock charts at the same time.

The most popular rock band to come out Canada in the new millennium, Nickelback’s unique name was based upon bass player Mike Kroeger’s work experience. Having worked at coffee shop that sold drinks from $2.95 to $5.95, Mike would constantly say “Here’s you nickel back” to customers. Along with their name, Nickelback is described as a post grunge, metal, hard rock band with inspirations from the ‘70s and ‘80s. Although Chad refers to influences such as Metallica and Led Zeppelin in an interview with Entertainment Weekly he once said, “Some people call it alternative rock, some call it this, that, or the other, but to us it’s just straight up rock and roll.”

The group’s most successful album All the Right Reasons reached 8 times platinum following its release in 2005. One of the main reasons the album sales were so high was because of the sincere, emotional feelings projected through the lyrics of the songs. Majority of the songs written on the album are from past experiences of each member along with a contribution song to friend who was shot to death. “The most important reason is make music because you love it and to convey a message that expresses yourself as an artist,” said Chad. Although a lot of the songs are reflections on personal relationships and the world around us, Nickelback intertwines several comedic songs which some people are able to relate to. The song “Animals” is a heavier fast beat song which tells the tale of boy and girl sneaking out in the middle of the night. “I'm driving past your house while you were sneaking out/ I got the car door opened up so you can jump in on the run / Your mom don't know that you were missing” Relating to teenagers during their rebel years the group aims to make songs that connect with their audiences. Although I never have snuck out of the house, the tales of friends climbing through windows and leaving in the cover of darkness is one that teens love to brag about to friends later on.

Throughout their career, Nickelback has been a group with a wide variety of fans. Whether in a depressed lonely state, a wild fast driving state, or just a mellow day, I’ve related and enjoyed to bands songs. With a variety of vocals, song tunes and messages there really isn’t any message the group hasn’t touched upon. Because of these messages more bands are able to express their own views without worrying how audiences react because Nickelback was the breakthrough group.

Music Video & Lyrics:


I, I'm driving black on black
Just got my license back
I got this feeling in my veins this train is coming off the track
I'll ask polite if the devil needs a ride
Because the angel on my right ain't hanging out with me tonight
I'm driving past your house while you were sneaking out
I got the car door opened up so you can jump in on the run
Your mom don't know that you were missing
She'd be pissed if she could see the parts of you that I've been kissing
Screamin'

[CHORUS]
No, we're never gonna quit
Ain't nothing wrong with it
Just acting like we're animals
No, no matter where we go
'Cause everybody knows
We're just a couple of animals

So come on baby, get in
Get in, just get in
Check out the trouble we're in

You're beside me on the seat
Got your hand between my knees
And you control how fast we go by just how hard you wanna squeeze
It's hard to steer when you're breathing in my ear
But I got both hands on the wheel while you got both hands on my gears
By now, no doubt that we were heading south
I guess nobody ever taught her not to speak with a full mouth
'Cause this was it, like flicking on a switch
It felt so good I almost drove into the ditch
I'm screamin'

[CHORUS]

So come on baby, get in
Get in, just get in
Look at the trouble we're in

We were parked out by the tracks
We're sitting in the back
And we just started getting busy
When she whispered "what was that?"
The wind, I think 'cause no one else knows where we are
And that was when she started screamin'
"That's my dad outside the car!"
Oh please, the keys, they're not in the ignition
Must have wound up on the floor while
we were switching our positions
I guess they knew that she was missing
As I tried to tell her dad it was her mouth that I was kissing
Screamin'

[CHORUS]

So come on baby, get in
We're just a couple of animals
Get in, just get in
Ain't nothing wrong with it
Check out the trouble we're in
Get in, just get in