Stranger Theme Card

Themes:

-Death, though always imminent, should not be feared.

-What ties a man to the earth is not his consciousness of physical stimuli, but the emotion that stimuli creates, whether in the man himself or to those who suround him.



Subjects:

-Alienation

-Indifference

-Judgement

-Death



Vehicles:

-Irony

-Imagery

-Symbolism

-Allusion



Conflicts:

-Meursault vs. Arab

-Meursault vs. Chaplain

-Meursault vs. Jury



Quotes:

-"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."
-"All I could feel were the cymbals of sunlight crashing on my forehead and, indistinctly, the dazzling spear flying up from the knife in front of me."
-"Nothing, nothing mattered, and I knew why. So did he. Throughout the whole absurd llife I'd lived, a dark wind had been rising toward me from somewhere deep in my future, across years that were still to come, and as it passed, this wind leveled everything that was offered to me at the time, in years no more real than the ones I was living."
-"With every blade of light that flashed off the sand, from a bleached shell or a piece of brken glass, my jaws tightened."
-"It was very hot. I ate at the restaurant, at Celeste's, as usual."

Main Characters:
Meursault
the Arab
Celeste
Salamano
Raymond
Marie
the Prosecutor

Title Significance:
The significance of the title, The Stranger, is that throughout the novel, Meursault is alienated and does not understand life. He constantly feels like a stranger in the world whom no one understands.

Summary:
Albert Camus's, The Stranger, begins with Meursault, the main character, explaining that his mother died the day before. Meursault apporaches his mother's death with a very nonchalant attitude,which seems terrible at first. Meursault begins to build freiendships with Marie, Salamano, and Raymond, the entire time not really understanding the point behind relationships or friendships or love. Meursault and Marie agree to accompany Raymond to the beach house of one of his friends. While at the beach, Meursault confronts and kills an Arabs, who was after Raymond. Meursault is sentenced to prison, where he ponders many new ideas about his life and his approaching death.

S.M.E.L.L.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6eXfvRcllV8

The sender, the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, greatly appeals to the emotions of the listeners, or pathos. In the commercial, the ASPCA, through Sarah McLachlan, a popular musical artist, reveals the sad realities of the existence of animal abuse in America. The message that the ASPCA is attempting to send is that these animals are helpless and hurting and are desperately in need of our help through donations to the organization. Throughout the commercial, pictures of abused animals are shown. Some of the animals in the video are severely injured, while others are shaking, fearful, or display sadness in their eyes. The statistics of animal abuse in America and the number of animal deaths as a result of the abuse are displayed in the commercial as well. All the while, McLachlan's highly emotional song, "Angel," is playing in the background. The shocking statistics, saddening pictures, and slow music of the commercial create a very sad and hopeless tone, which parallels the lives of abused animals. The language displayed in the commercial is simple and brief, but the tone is desperate and tragic. The ASPCA even offers a free t-shirt, wristband, and picture of an animal as a gift for calling in the next thirty minutes and donating. The logic behind this is , if the viewer is not emotionally affected by the depressing tone of the commercial, they might be pressured to donate for the free gifts. However, the ASPCA's use of ethos seemingly provides the most effectiveness in capturing a viewer's emotions.

"In the Garden" Explication

The fields are always wet with rain
After a summer shower
When I saw you standin'
Standin' in the garden
In the garden
Wet with rain

You wiped the teardrops from your eye in sorrow
And we watched the petals fall down to the ground
And as I sat beside you I felt theGreat sadness that day
In the garden

And then one day you came back home
You were a creature all in rapture
You had the key to your soul
And you did open
That day you came back
To the garden

The olden summer breeze was blowin' gainst your face
Alright
The light of God was shinin' on your countenance divine
And you were a violet colour as you
Sat beside your father and your mother

In the garden
The summer breeze was blowin' on your face
Within your violet you treasure your summery words
And as the shiver from my neck down to my spine
Ignited me in daylight and nature in the garden

And you went into a trance
Your childlike vision became so fine
And we heard the bells within the church
We loved so much
And felt the presence of the youth of eternal summers
In the garden

Alright

And as it touched your cheeks so lightly
Born again you were and blushed
And we touched each other lightly
And we felt the presence of the Christ within our hearts

In the garden

And I turned to you and I said

No guru, no method, no teacher
Just you and I and nature
And the Father in the garden

Listen

No guru, no method, no teacher
Just you and I and nature
And the Father and the Son and the Holy Ghost
In the garden

Wet with rain

No Guru, no method, no teacher
Just you and I and nature and the Father and the Holy Ghost
In that garden, in the garden, wet with rain

Yeah. Alright.

No Guru, no method, no teacher
Just you and I and nature and the Father In the garden

Explication
Irish singer and songwriter, Van Morrison, skillfully creates beautiful images and intense meaning and feeling in his songs. “In the Garden” clearly describes Christ’s Resurrection but can also be connected to any deep spiritual experience. Morrison’s “In the Garden” portrays a spiritual experience through the use of specific diction, repetition, and imagery of Christ’s Resurrection.


Morrison uses repetition to emphasize the idea of Jesus Christ in his final hours. Morrison repeatedly sings “…in the garden…” The reason for this repetition throughout the song could be to recognize the crucial event in the Garden of Gethsemane when Jesus was arrested. This event is the beginning of the death and Resurrection of Jesus Christ, which is at the center of the world’s Christian beliefs. The repetition of “summer” conveys eternal life and unrestricted happiness, as nature is thriving and green during this season.


Morrison utilizes imagery to convey the meaningfulness of the song and the experience within it. Morrison uses the image of water to stimulate the idea of spiritual purification: “The fields are always wet with rain after a summer shower.” The purification conveyed could describe Christ’s Resurrection or a spiritual healing within a person. “ When I saw you standin’, standin’ in the garden, in the garden.” In this line, Morrison creates the image of Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane just hours before his crucifixion. “You wiped the teardrops from your eye in sorrow and we watched the petals fall down to the ground, and as I sat beside you I felt the great sadness that day in the garden.” This line most clearly describes Jesus’ death. Morrison conveys the “sadness” of His death, like the death of a flower when its “petals fall down to the ground.” However, Jesus’ death ultimately meant the forgiveness of man and eternal life in heaven.


The tone in the song shifts to one of salvation, while continuing to portray images of the Resurrection. “And then one day you came back home.” This line describe Jesus rising from the dead and appearing to his Apostles after his death. “You had the key to your soul and you did open that day you came back.” Morrison conveys the idea of Jesus giving the world the key to heaven through his sacrifice. “…You were a violet color as you sat beside your father and your mother in the garden,” and …”within your violet you treasure your summery words.” Color imagery of violet, or purple represents the Lenten season of Jesus’ sacrifice and Resurrection. When Morrison sings, “…as you sat beside your father and your mother…,” he alludes to Mary and Joseph, Jesus’ mother and father on earth. The lines “…ignited me in daylight and nature in the garden,” and “ …felt the presence of the youth of eternal summers in the garden,” describe a feeling of saving grace and forgiveness and hope for eternal life in heaven.


Morrison utilizes specific diction to create an accurate and clear view of the meaning of the song. “You were a creature all in rapture…” The word “rapture” denotes ecstatic joy and happiness, as Morrison describes the return of the Savior. “Your childlike vision became so fine…” Morrison uses the word “childlike” to show innocence and purity, like that of a child.


Though this song strongly represents the death and Resurrection of Jesus Christ, it can ultimately represent any spiritual reconciliation or peace with one’s self or in a relationship. “No guru, not method, no teacher. Just you and I and nature and the Father and the Son and the Holy Ghost in the Garden.” Morrison describes a peace in an individuals life when he is at peace with himself, his neighbor, nature, and God.

(Mrs. Elmeer, YouTube didnt have a clip of this song and i tried putting the song from itunes on here but that didnt work either. Sorry!)

Sestina

He wakes early each morning for his father,

who at night, drinks away the money.

Out in the darkness and cold, throwing newspapers,

he pushes away the intense pangs of hunger.

Alone and hated by his father, the son

only lives for his mother and God.

*

He goes into the church, unaware of God

to find peace from the wrath of his father.

From the moment of epiphany, the son

knows God and no longer needs money

to keep away his hunger,

as he carries on his back, the bag full of newspapers.

*

After delivering hundreds of newspapers

and praying all along the way to God,

who is the only one with the power to diminish his hunger:

his hunger for nourishment, faith, and the love of his father,

he struggles through his young life, where money

seems to be the cure for the pains of the son.

*

The boy grew into the honorable man, but still a son

to a poor woman who loved him for throwing newspapers,

even though he sacrificed his health and childhood for money

for his mother and siblings. Now, his life is in the hands of God,

as the son leaves behind the disappointment of his father

to fight for his country and end his hunger.

*

His journey is never easy, but the hunger

he once felt, now gives him strength. The son,

through each danger and obstacle, prays to his Father,

who carried him as child outside delivering newspapers.

The son knows that by God

he is alive today and that love does not depend on money.

*

His life was spent always lacking money,

but he no longer feels the hunger

for the love of his family or God.

He realizes the power of God and His Son

as he sits on the porch reading the newspapers

and never feeling hate towards his father.

*

God has led this man through a life rich in the money

of love for his Father and lacking in hunger

for he knows the Son gave him all he needs, as he sets down the newspapers.

Found Poem

Everything is in motion.
The horizon, with a flash of fuchsia darting across, is clear.
He has succumb to her voodoo,
and she is captivated by his one man show.
The luminous moon rises into the black sky.
Her perfect fairy peach and cream complexion and tangerine joy
make his cold Ferrari black eyes turn to something blue.
His wild thing essence makes her heartbeat fast, like racing rubies.
He recalls the first time he saw her,
with her pink diamond earrings and Calvin Klein jeans.
At that moment, he fell for her, like falling through the silver ice.

She remembers the taxi he stepped out of
on his way into the café.
The dark lights shone down on his mysterious face
as she was mesmerized by his “Cool Water” scent.
Their chapel of love could wither away like a sterling silver rose,
or Romeo and Juliet could for the first time come true.

Vocab Poem

Words, Definitions, and Part of speech:

1. vociferous: (adj) Making, given to, or marked by noisy and vehement outcry.

2. timorous: (adj) full of fear; fearful

3. imbroglio: (n) a misunderstanding, disagreement, etc., of a complicated or bitter nature, as between persons or nations.

4. pandemonium: (n) wild uproar or unrestrained disorder; tumult or chaos.

5. servility: (n) slavishly submissive or obsequious

6. illation: (n) the act of inferring; conclusion

7. pastoral: (adj) having the simplicity, charm, serenity, or other characteristics generally attributed to rural areas.

8. kaleidoscopic: (adj) changing form, pattern, color, etc., in a manner suggesting a kaleidoscope

9. prosaic: (adj) lacking in imagination and spirit; dull

10. tessellation: (n) collage, mixture, abstract composition

Bittersweet Reality

That day I was awakened from the naive dream of my childish world. With the vociferous voices crying out like thunder pounding through the whirling gray clouds, I realized the imbroglio that soon broke out into a violent pandemonium. It was like a fight between two dogs, heightening and seemingly never ending. And the biting, growling, screaming, and yelling. My young mind poured over with timorous thoughts like flood waters breaking over a weakened levy. Like debris swept up by a catastrophic tornado, rocking chairs once used to rock infants to sleep were whirled across the room, along with random helpless objects. That day, my life that once seemed comforting and safe, despite the servility that I was ignorant to, reached an illation that seemed like a dead end in the road with no outlet. That day represents more than just this natural disaster that capsized my life. That day created my kaleidoscopic life. My life would become a mosaic of experiences, never prosaic or lacking in color or contrast. The tesselation of comforts and struggles that would inhabit my life would become who I am. That day, though painful and violent, led to the pastoral comfort like a soft breeze after a storm.

Defending America's Rock Tradition: Not A Petty Thing (Hilburn)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jsn7Ig8KCCM
In 1970, four average teenage boys living in Gainesville, Florida formed a band called Mudcrutch. Mudcrutch began performing in local bars and clubs in the Gainesville area. Four years later, the young men of this band begged their lead guitarist’s father to allow his son to drop out of the University of Florida. After a bit of a struggle, he finally consented. The band quickly signed with Shelter Records and relocated to Los Angeles, California. This band which would become Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers could never have predicted the events to come in their very successful future and their lives would never again be the same. Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers have been nominated for and winners of numerous Grammy Awards, recipients of a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, and inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. The band’s great talent, creativity, and determination has brought them their huge success.

Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers have left an impact on the complicated music industry, their countless fans throughout the world, and a myriad of other musicians. This band captured listeners everywhere with its unique and sincere music and lyrics. They have motivated many young aspiring musical artists, and even well-established musicians. One of their greatest contributions to the world, however, has been their persistence to dispute any injustices, especially in the music industry, and their willingness to not back down on what they know is right.

Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers defines and embraces rock and roll music, though Tom Petty occasionally has a country sound because of his Southern roots. Their unique and original instrumental sound and emphasis on the guitar and drums, together with Tom Petty’s very distinct vocals, characterizes rock music. The whiney and almost imperfect sound of Petty’s voice, similarly to many other rock musicians, creates the flawed perfection of their rock and roll music.

Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers honored and followed in the footsteps of their musical idols, while at the same time creating a sound and success of their own that many musicians would later strive to attain. The brilliant musical deities of Bob Dylan, Roy Orbison, Elvis Presley, and Johnny Cash have influenced the passionate music of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. While they admired these great musicians, the band always managed to create their own unique lyrics and music full of passion and sincerity. The tradition of talent and success of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers have influenced numerous younger artists, such as Pearl Jam, Stevie Nicks, John Mayer, and many more.

Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers are a band with a drive and force incomparable to anyone else. This ambition, especially within the leader, Tom Petty, is a result of struggles and anger. In the recently released documentary, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers: Runnin’ Down A Dream, Tom Petty discusses his troubled childhood. As expressed in the documentary, “the untold story of great rock musicians is you either lost your mother or your father hated you.” Bono from the band U2 said, “ If you were like me and you were lucky enough to have both, there is no limit to what you can accomplish.” Tom Petty was another one who had this same situation. Petty’s mother, who he adored dearly, died early in his blossoming career. His father verbally and physically abused him from an early age because Petty was interested in music and art. When Petty became successful, his father relished in his son’s success and enjoyed the title of “Tom Petty’s Father.” Tom Petty turns the anger that he experiences within him into the ambition that has brought himself and his band their achievements.

As Admiral David Farragut declared at the Battle of Mobile Bay during the American Civil War, “Damn the torpedoes!,” Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers also adopted this “full speed ahead” mentality in 1979 when MCA Records acquired Shelter Records without the band’s consent. Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers then realized that, out of naiveté and inexperience in the music business, they had signed a contract giving up their publishing rights to the record company. The record companies told them that they were in no financial position to fight a lawsuit, but the unwavering Petty was only angered more and filed the lawsuit, as well as, for bankruptcy and rendered all previous contracts null and void, a first for anyone in the music business. Finally, MCA Records settled and gave the band their own label under Backstreet Records, let them set their own deal, and gave them the right to their songs. Through this whole process, Tom Petty’s persistence was constantly evident. Even faced by a powerful attorneys, Petty quoted, “ I will sell !@#$%^& peanuts before I give into you. I refuse to give into you. You can break me, but you can’t sell records.”

Through the months of legal battles, the band continued to work on their record. “Damn the Torpedoes” became their artistically greatest work and achieved Platinum status within four months. Petty transformed the anger from his past into the drive that he and his band needed to earn their well-deserved success.

Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers convey a message throughout all of their songs similar to that of “I Won’t Back Down.” Though there is unmistakable pain in his life, Tom Petty writes very artistic and romantic songs. He ultimately communicates through his music the often sad realities of life: the joys and the disappointments, the triumphs and the battles; and he communicates his determination to overcome the unfortunate aspects of life.
Tom Petty and the Heartbreaker’s ambition and determination is clearly defined in their song “I Won’t Back Down.” The title and the first line undoubtedly states his motive. Petty expresses his assertion that whatever the situation and the fear he may have, he will thrust it aside and persevere, “You could stand me up at the gates of hell, but I won’t back down.” Petty, as he proved throughout his life, again confirms that he will fight against the injustices that are evident in this vindictive world, “Well I know what’s right, I got just one life in a world that keeps on pushin’ me around…” Petty plainly explains that there are no simple alternatives to reaching a solution and you just have to face the difficulties, “Hey baby, there ain’t no easy way out…”

“I Won’t Back Down”

Well I won’t back down, no I won’t back down
You can stand me up at the gates of hell
But I won’t back down

Gonna stand my ground, won’t be turned around
And I’ll keep this world from draggin’ me down
Gonna stand my ground and I won’t back down

Hey baby, there ain’t no easy way out
Hey I will stand my ground
And I won’t back down.

Well I know what’s right, I got just one life
In a world that keeps on pushin’ me around
But I’ll stand my ground and I won’t back down

Hey baby there ain’t no easy way out
Hey I will stand my ground
And I won’t back down
No, I won’t back down