The Stranger Theme Card

QUOTES:
-"After that, everything seemed to happen so fast, so deliberately, so naturally that I don't remember any of it anymore."
-"I knew that I had shattered the harmony of the day, the exceptional silence of a beach where I'd been happy."
-"Yes, it was the hour when, a long time ago, I was perfectly content. What awaited me back then was always a night of easy, dreamless sleep. And yet something had changed, since it was back to my cell that I went to wait for the next day...as if familiar paths traced in summer skies could lead as easily to prison as to the sleep of the innocent."
-"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."

CONFLICTS:
-individuality vs. conformity
-emotion vs. action
-society vs. individual people

VEHICLES:
-diction
-tone
-irony
-symbolism

SUBJECTS:
-the absurd
-alienation
-consciousness

PLOT SUMMARY:
Meursault is a man who lives to fulfill his immediate desires, masking his emotions with this need. He gets involved with a man named Raymond and, as a result, shoots and kills one of his enemies. Meursault's actions and emotional state are put on trial with his odd way of hiding feeling in order to satiate his needs heavily criticized, and he is eventually sentenced to a death which he comes to accept.

THEMES:
-People have their own way of doing things which may be unacceptable to society as large; however, this does not mean that they are wrong.
-Society has a hard time accepting those who deviate from its norms, and as a result, these individuals suffer simply for being true to themselves.

TITLE SIGNIFICANCE:
Meursault is a stranger to society as he behaves in ways that most people do not and that are difficult for most to understand; however, he is also a stranger to himself as he never gives himself time to feel or truly attach to anything, just moving through life doing the things that strike him at the moment. In this way he only gets to know himself through superficial means, not on the deeper level which defines human feeling and existence.

CHARACTERS:
Meursault
Maman
Marie
Raymond
Salamano
the Arab
couple on the beach
Prosecutor
Magistrate

five...five dollar...

Subway's "Five Dollar Footlong" commercial successfully employs a variety of literary devices in making its message short and simple yet memorable. The use of repetition, tone, and alliteration adds to the commercial's "staying power" and helped make it popular among viewers.

The commercial's main theme is to convince viewers that the footlong subs at Subway are a great deal as they only cost $5. To irrevocably etch this price into the minds of television viewers, staged repetition of the phrase "Five Dollar Footlong" is employed. The progression "Five...Five Dollar...Five Dollar Footlong" builds anticipation in viewers as they know what's coming next. The hand motions that go along with the chant add to the entertaining aspect of the commercial, making viewers not just want to sing along, but dance along. They are persuaded into believing that the ability to get so much food for such a small amount of money is a very good thing, even if they do not actually need or want that much food.

The commercial is fun to watch and due to its catchy jingle with hand motions, people have begun imitating it for fun. People associate the happy tone of the commercial with the food it advertises, creating an emotional link between consumers and the company's products. People feel urged to buy the subs because they associate them with good feelings and the popularity of the commercial which features them, thinking, "It's a good idea to buy one of those subs, everyone knows the song and everyone must be buying them!" The appeal of this commercial is especially strong with children, who are impressionable and among advertising's most susceptible target audiences. The images that accompany the commercial are also fun and appealing, contributing further to this effect.

The words of the jingle are simple and repetitive--because they are easy to repeat. The chant-like tune of the words is catchy, making the jingle somewhat of an element of pop culture. People find themselves with the song stuck in their heads, singing along and eventually finding that they, too want a footlong from Subway because it has been burned into their memories. Alliteration in the line "Five Dollar Footlong" adds to the easy catchiness of the jingle.

This commercial hits a home run as it pairs an unforgettable slogan with good food. The combination of these two popular elements seems to make the subs themselves even more popular, which was surely the end objective of the masterminds behind the commercial. By making a great amount of food available for a comparably small amount of money, advertisers for Subway appeal first to people's desire to save money and then to the desire to eat well. When these two desires are satisfied by one product, the company will achieve success. When that one product is paired with popular advertising, the success increases even further.

stolen

"Stolen" by Dashboard Confessional

We watch the season pull up its own stakes
And catch the last weekend of the last week
Before the gold and the glimmer have been replaced,
Another sun soaked season fades away

You have stolen my heart
You have stolen my heart

Invitation only, grand farewells
Crash the best one, of the best ones
Clear liquor and cloudy eyed, too early to say goodnight

You have stolen my heart
You have stolen my heart

And from the ballroom floor we are in celebration
One good stretch before our hibernation
Our dreams assured and we all, will sleep well

You have stolen
You have stolen my heart

I watch you spin around in your highest heels
You are the best one, of the best ones
We all look like we feel

You have stolen my
You have stolen my heart


The emotions of people in love oftentimes ebb and flow in their intensity and meaning, coming and going yet always leaving their mark. The same can be said of time; we give it definition through the things happening in our lives as it elapses. It comes and then it goes, but we never forget certain things that have happened to us at certain times. Emotions are at times uncontrollable, the results of inner turmoil and outer stimuli that occur naturally. Just as we cannot always control what we feel, we cannot stop the flow of time. In this way, it is possible to compare emotions and time through the various attributes they share. In their song "Stolen", Dashboard Confessional relates emotions to time through allusion and comparison, demonstrating that people cannot control their feelings any more than they can control the hands of time.

The first stanza of the song makes repeated references to the passage of time; the end of one season and the next one's beginning are described. The fact that this stanza is followed by the repeated line "You have stolen my heart" makes it clear to listeners that the lyrics represent two people in love who observe the changes in time yet remain together as they do so, putting forth the idea that relationships can weather change and long durations. The line "Before the gold and the glimmer have been replaced/Another sun soaked season fades away" suggests that the meaning and appeal of this couple's relationship have not worn off even as time goes on, proving that the longevity of this pairing is stronger than the constraints of weeks, months, and entire seasons. These allusions to weather and the changes that occur in it between different seasons convey to listeners that much time can pass without doing damage to a relationship; it is possible for the bond between people to remain the same even as the things that surround them adapt to new situations.

A comparison between time and emotion is made even more evident by the second stanza with its opening line, "Invitation only, grand farewells/crash the best one, of the best ones". As we perceive that we are running out of time, we lose power over what we feel and do, making ourselves susceptible to failure. Feeling excluded or limited by time incites incredible emotions of helplessness and hopelessness as we understand that we cannot stop time; therefore, we cannot stop our own failure. When people feel like this in regards to a relationship, they may blame themselves for not working to make things better while they still had the chance; they regret letting time get the best of them. The next stanza represents a turn from these emotions: "And from the ballroom floor we are in celebration/One good stretch before our hibernation/Our dreams assured and we all, will sleep well". Listeners imagine a couple dancing happily, perhaps enjoying themselves one last time before facing a big change. The last line of the stanza suggests that perhaps the couple knows that it will have a happy ending after enduring this change. The people in the relationship are strong enough to stand the test of time, both as individuals and as part of a couple. The word "hibernation" conveys the idea of a resting period, which again relates back to seasons and is representative of people's ability to take the time to remove themselves from a situation and return later, refreshed and just as strong as--if not stronger than--before.

Time is an unstoppable force which can be difficult to face but must always be reckoned with. People enduring difficult emotions will find that the same is true of emotion. "Stolen" effectively portrays this commonality between time and human feeling through alluding to seasons and comparing feelings such as failure and relief as they relate to the passage of time. When we have the opportunity to step back and look at something challenging--such as the preservation of a long-term relationship--in terms of things to which we are well-accustomed and able to handle, such as seasons, we have the chance to renew our drive and conquer any difficulties we may face on the path to success.

rondel: then I woke up and saw your truth

I’d lost myself in love, I thought,
Then I woke up and saw your truth
Eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth,
I will not give you all I’ve got.

My affections come earned, not bought
To love you is to jump through hoops
I’d lost myself in love, I thought,
Then I woke up and saw your truth.

Hadn’t my eye, long ago caught,,
Strayed to you and your varied moods
I’d have a different attitude.
But you captured me, as I’d sought.
I’d lost myself in love, I thought,
Then I woke up and saw your truth.

heading to the ocean

somehow, someway
and maybe it took more time than only a day
I can’t be sure of what’s even true
but some certain time, I fell under your spell like it was voodoo

you said my name like it was made from rose quartz
and I want to stay by your side so much that it hurts
there’s something in your essence that I simply cannot deny
I think maybe it was just uncertainty that made us feel shy

you look at me and I feel it like aqua chrome
and I feel that in you, I have finally found my home
and once upon a time, you called me a wild thing
as I held my breath and wished for what our future might bring

you make my heartbeat imitate racing rubies' speed
when I found you, my soul was undeniably freed
and your voice, I’d say that the very sound of it is music to my ears
so that whenever I hear you I’m relieved of all my fears

you’re essential to my existence, my very life
I think of losing you and I feel a physical ache from the strife
under the dark lights we looked at each other just to be near
and then your eyes and my heart said, loud and everclear,

let’s set this thing in motion and head to the ocean, my dear.

birth

Here we are, sitting. All of us are here together, and we are all in this together, and so we wait. The duration of our time here is unknown, but we'll ride out the entire euphonic storm together. The seats are covered in a strange sort of plastic, and I sit by the window. I watch the cars go by and know that when I leave here, I'll feel a previously unknown joy deep within me. The crisp air cascades over our skin, and we breathe in deep the antiseptic air. Everything here is as unsullied as the one we anxiously await. I shiver, but it is no effect of temperature. It is anticipation. The walls here, I have noticed, are made up of an iridescent peach color which reminds me of the decades gone by that I never lived in. But this moment, it is now. Those walls have seen many repose anxiously (a wonderful oxymoron it is in moments like this) before us, and many will come after us, doing the same. And those walls, they'll still stand there in their formidable strength which is sublimely softened by their hue. We, some twelve in number, are distinguished from all others because this is our turn. We've waited for this day and it's here. The day became night and we stayed to see the sky fade into black. Night falls and I lift my head from the screen, which has sufficiently scalded my sense of sight into submission. My neck burns from bending over my books, too. My eyes superfluously scan the room, this holding area defined by those old timeless walls. I know all of you here, and most of you knew me even before my own birth. I knew you then, too. I knew your softly lilting voices. I felt the gentle touch of your hands even through my many layers of protected space, and you spoke to the unseen baby, your unborn relative. And now, I've had the chance to do the same. It has prepared me for the great joy ahead of us all, so close that we can hear it, feel it, see it. And then came the news, "He is born", and our family grew from twelve to thirteen literally overnight, as the clock struck twelve and he took his first, paramount breath.

euphonic (adjective): of harmonious or agreeable sound
cascade (verb): to move in a flowing manner
unsullied (adjective): spotlessly clean and fresh
iridescent (adjective): brilliant, lustrous, or colorful in effect or appearance
sublimely (adjective): utterly, completely
formidable (adjective): of great strength, force, or power
scald (verb): to burn or affect painfully
superfluously (adjective): unnecessarily or needlessly
lilting (adjective): of a cheerful or lively manner
paramount (adjective): chief in importance or impact

A Veritable Cure for the Vulnerable at Heart

For over thirty years, The Cure has been producing music that appeals to a broad audience of listeners: from the lovesick teenager to the soulful young person to the experienced adult, all can find a song by this English band that suits any particular emotion felt at any one moment. The Cure has a distinct sound that is all its own and very difficult, if not impossible to imitate well. The band employs a variety of special effects, unique instruments, and the soulful voice of its lead singer, Robert Smith, to achieve this distinction. Smith himself describes the band as “not categorizable” due to the wide variety of genres--and integration of such--covered by their music. Spin magazine has even stated that "The Cure have always been an either/or sort of band: either [. . .] Robert Smith is wallowing in gothic sadness or he's licking sticky-sweet cotton-candy pop off his lipstick-stained fingers.” However, the “gothic” label has long been associated with The Cure due to the more melancholy nature of many of their songs. This quality goes hand in hand with a recurrent theme present in much of the band’s work, early and contemporary: love. The Cure has influenced other bands such as My Chemical Romance and Interpol, which many would argue have a darker sound as well; however, there is more to music than that which is immediately apparent, as can be made clear by thinking about a song by The Cure for any length of time. The very complexity of the music, its content, its contributions to listeners, and the eccentricity of the band itself make The Cure, in my opinion, worthy of being distinguished as one of the most important bands of all time by Rolling Stone magazine.

Some of the more well-known songs by The Cure, such as “Pictures of You” (featured in a printer commercial a few years ago) and “Friday I’m In Love” are deserving of this popularity in their own right, but some of their best work can be found in their more obscure, older recordings, such as “Close to Me” and “The Love Cats”. The latter of those two songs was released by The Cure in 1983 as a single and can today be found on several compilations, including greatest hits collections, released by the band. Its ever-effective lyrics follow; the original music video has been included in order to share its infectious melody with readers.
Ah
We move like cagey tigers
We couldn't get closer than this
The way we walk
The way we talk
The way we stalk
The way we kiss
We slip through the streets
While everyone sleeps
Getting bigger and sleeker
And wider and brighter
We bite and scratch and scream all night
Let's go and throw
All the songs we know...

Into the sea
You and me
All these years and no one heard
I'll show you in spring
It's a treacherous thing
We missed you hissed the lovecats

We're so wonderfully wonderfully wonderfully
Wonderfully pretty!
Oh you know that I'd do anything for you...
We should have each other to tea huh?
We should have each other with cream
Then curl up by the fire
And sleep for awhile
It's the grooviest thing
It's the perfect dream

Into the sea
You and me
All these years and no one heard
I'll show you in spring
It's a treacherous thing
We missed you hissed the lovecats

We're so wonderfully wonderfully wonderfully
Wonderfully pretty!
Oh you know that I'd do anything for you...
We should have each other to dinner huh?
We should have each other with cream
Then curl up in the fire
Get up for awhile
It's the grooviest thing
It's the perfect dream

Hand in hand
Is the only way to land
And always the right way round
Not broken in pieces
Like hated little meeces...
How could we miss
Someone as dumb as this?

I love you... let's go...
Oh... solid gone...
How could we miss
Someone as dumb as this?


“The Love Cats” employs a variety of special effects to replicate the sounds of cats meowing, gnashing their teeth, hissing, and clawing; such sounds set the tone for the song, the lyrics of which emphasize the similarities and closeness of a couple in love by comparing their actions to those of two prowling wild cats. The song has much replication of the word “we”, emphasizing the couple’s relationship. Deftly do the lyrics assimilate the couple’s actions with those of cats; described as biting, scratching, screaming, stalking, and moving like "cagey tigers", one does not immediately call to mind an image of two human beings behaving like felines, but rather a couple of people who are truly in sync with each other in every way imaginable as they “slip through the streets while everyone sleeps” together. The pairing of these terms with more human ones, such as walking, talking, and kissing completes the juxtaposition of humans and cats, telling listeners that they themselves become the cats in this song; Smith crooning about curling up by a fire, having each other to tea, and landing hand in hand further makes this point about animals and humans..the point being that it’s good to think of ourselves in more carefree, happy terms at times, especially when dealing with something as potentially complicated and overwhelming as love. The emphasis of the animalistic couple sorting out dumb ones reiterates the pair's unity in action and thought. After all, it is better to land with someone, together and whole, than to land apart and shattered.

As shown by the lyrics of “The Love Cats” and the ways in which the sounds of the song complement them, The Cure exhibits great skill in pairing its messages with its music. Their songs have even even been described by Tim Pope, a director who has worked with the band on many of its music videos, as “cinematic”, largely due to Smith’s personality itself and the way he conveys it to his songs. The message of the music, as previously stated, is often about love, in an either direct or indirect, implied manner. Robert Smith says that his main objective in producing music is simply to make songs that sound like The Cure, whatever that sound may be.

Personally, I feel that whatever the objective of The Cure in cutting a track, it succeeds very well. This is a band that does not bother to conform to society’s standards and, as a result, produces music that continues to be pertinent to the human condition long after it was recorded and released. While The Cure may be synonymous with Gothic rock to many, it tries to abandon those ideas by consistently mixing up its style while still retaining its own unique sound, even within the space of one studio album. The most recent release by The Cure, entitled 4:13 Dream, is a picture-perfect example of a melting pot of music with something in common throughout its thirteen tracks: the solid emotion and raw meanings that come from the music of The Cure.

If The Cure ever has one objective at least at the back of its members’ minds in putting forth new music, it must be to challenge societal expectations through the portrayal of raw emotion. As in “The Love Cats”, does it really ever hurt people to think of themselves as something so simple and even whimsical as animals in relation to complex human emotion? We oftentimes must break things down in order to see their true meaning. A reluctance to conform to expectations is not necessarily a bad or a dangerous thing; it makes people think, and it makes people question the things that they’ve long been told are right and acceptable. The Cure thinks outside of the box in a world that is all too apt to just take what comes in the box and run with it as best they can. The Cure gives something back to society when it gives us its music; it gives us the excuse to challenge ourselves and our feelings as we listen to them so eloquently and so purely set forth for us by this band. It is absolutely possible to find an emotional refuge in The Cure.